I think we need to do much better at marketing the reality of the pilot's job to all but in particular the legislators.
Unfortunately when we 'do' our job the public expects it to be done that way, when we 'don't' do our job then hundreds of people get injured/killed, training is questioned and hours/experience/fatigue are all considered. Look at Colgan and the campaign led BY THE FAMILIES OF THE DECEASED, not the airlines or the insurers!
The sad fact of life is that ticket price is king and the paying public don't care/want to know who is flying them, how fatigued they are or how poorly trained they are as long as ticket A price is less than ticket B price.
Always remember, if we do our job correctly to the limit of our professional ability and contain the problem/emergency/failure then we have done our professional best. But, the public, if we do our job right, will never ever see it and the airlines we work for don't care.
Hence we are in the position we are.