OOsevern,
You sanctimonious b@stard. What's wrong with a plumber or an electrician becoming an airline pilot? I'd much rather have a colleague alongside me who knows a thing or two about sacrifice and hard work than a jumped up tw@t like you.
As for the paying for the TR issue. Well, quite simply, it's those who are within the industry, and have been for some time, who are to blame for the degradation of T's and C's. If experienced airline pilots with a good few years service had taken a stand against this issue when it first reared it's ugly head, young cadets coming through the system would not be getting raped today. And T's and C's wouldn't be falling down the pan either.
Take a good long hard look in the mirror pal because that's where the rot started. Or are you so far up your own @rse that you just fail to see it.
Becoming an airline pilot these days, for someone who wasn't born into money, is probably the most difficult career choice to make. Aside from the aquisition of the CPL/IR there is also the huge expense attached to it and the subsequent risk. Guys nowadays are spending upwards of 100K to get trained so the additional outlay of 23K for a type rating to GUARANTEE that first job is now an expenditure that has to be seriously considered.