I did flight data for Ops Control and I don't think anyone involved in it or knew about it were under any misapprehension as to the waste and exorbitant cost of it. Something had to be done, problem is, you put it under airline control and looky-looky at what happens.
I also flew as a VFR pilot when Flight Service was around, it too was expensive to run. It could have survived with the right re-structuring. It was a great resource to all pilots. MIA wouldn't have happened if it was still around. We seem to be like a little kid poking it's hand into a lions cage just to see how far we can push it before we lose a hand.
Every day is one day closer.