Safety these days seems to be about risk management (Swiss cheese model). NAS clearly increases the risk (holes in the cheese) rather than decreases it. ATC are against it, professional pilots are against it.
Why you have 2 aircraft in the same airspace but one (a lightie with a more inexperienced pilot) not under ATC control and on a different frequency (or not supposed to broadcast) is completely beyond me, with the onus on the pilots to avoid each other?? You try spotting a lightie when travelling at 250+kts (usually this is occuring on descent), they are a speck in the sky, thank goodness for TCAS. Of course that scenario increases workload on pilot and ATC, increasing the risk.
The situational awareness of all involved plummets, again increasing the potential risk! What has happened to promoting airmanship?? I thought flying was largely based on situational awareness? Well according to this new system it's no longer required!
Why is AOPA supporting this system? So some weekend warriors can fly into new airspace? I'm not tarring all with the same brush but when the onus is left to a pilot who flies once a month, and has low experience, again the risk increases. Just sit in a busy CTAF, or at a GAAP before the tower opens. Not a pretty picture! From experience I would say 1 in 10 seem to be a problem. Poor procedures (joining cct in wrong direction, not broadcasting when conflicting track/altitude, etc), let alone very poor radio skills, yet this system promotes that exact behaviour! No procedures/radio calls required.
All the professional bodies oppose this system, after all, they're only the ones who use it day after day, not one weekend a month! Of all the facets of our industry, GA (especially the GA pilot) is the one which really needs a highly professional, smart and strong representation. Join the real world AOPA and stop proving yourselves to be a bunch of amateurs!