It takes years of flying in all types of weather and in all situations to make one competitive enough to become a JetBlue pilot.....
not at the prospect of hiring non-aviators and hoping that their simulator time and flight training in a blue-sky world prepares them for shooting an ILS to minimums during a winter storm.
What kind of expierience is necessary to join the flight deck of Mesa and the other regionals? Is a winter storm less difficult for a junior FO with Mesa then with JetBlue?
Such programms worked well outside the US, why should it not work with JetBlue?