"but without the continued (relative) freedom of those of us at the grass-roots of flying, the very future of commercial aviation would be jeopardised"
Big al - I can see your concerns, but let's put this another way round. How many airports around the country would not be able to offer any form of activity if it wasn't for the commercial activity which kept the tills ringing?
You'll have to forgive me ignorance over the GA situation at DSA, but CVT for one is a location where the financial picture looked a lot more bleak before scheduled flights started.
I would expect that DSA offers many more flying opportunities beyond those which carry fare paying passengers - if not now, then in the not too distant future.
To flip the coin again, how do people get their initial interest in aviation - by flying on commercial planes. Look at all the opportunities which have been opened up from regional airports which didn't exist 10 years ago. This can only be a boost to those who enjoy aviation as a hobby in whatever form (let's not forget the spotters here too).