Spag,
I like your post and you make some good points. However, I believe my brethren here think that those are the only "weapons" we have against this punitive policy change. With a slow uptick in fuel usage begining with this policy change, it might just get someone's attention.
But please let us not take out our frustrations on the crew controllers. They probably cringe everytime the phone rings knowing it's either a new policy change or and angry pilot.
As I said earlier, there is NO logical reason for this change. I don't believe I have ever seen a more bone headed move by a management team in all of my years of flying. Very few will do ANYTHING at this point to help out. Do your job as laid out in all of our FCNs, FCIs, FOM etc---nothing more.