MIke Hammer.
Your post is a sobering and fascinating one - especially when taken in conjunction with several others. That airline managements appear not to value turboprop experience, and that that appears also to be backed up by the views of one or two on here, is appalling, if correct.
I think you are all explaining, rather more clearly than you might wish, one of the major challenges in the airline industry today and why we see what may be an increasing trend towards eincidents and accidents involving lack of what I would describe as basic 'situational awareness and basic airmanship. The sort of, frequently somewhat defensive, thinking that can only come from extensive real world experience.
Since the turboprop drivers are more often down in the dirty stuff and do more sectors, possibly in more challenging conditions on average, their experience ought to hold them in very good stead. That management seems not to understand that is worrying.
I think back to the old days of Air Anglia on the EAST Coast run in the UK. Those F27 pilots earned their pay and were super aircraft handlers, mostly becuase they had to be. Confidence inspiring on bad winter's nights as SLF.
I take nothing way from 'pure' jet pilots - the best are superb, and it has its major challenges too. However I strongly feel that the more areas of flying you experience and understand, the better a pilot you are likely to be.
To the original poster - good luck & apologies for hi-jacking the thread's original purpose. It sounds a difficult and expensive, high risk path you comtemplate.