Exactly my thoughts Journey Man, it has always been my experience that those seen as "difficult" by managers are usually the ones with principle and integrity.
Care to elaborate Mr Monarch?..you seem to have the "inside scoop" on this. You make it sound like MS had a disciplinary record as long as your arm. Is that the case? Unless LAS is now classified as a military airfield!? Maybe he just refused to "bend the rules" or was not willing to succumb to management pressure to do the "wrong thing".
Your comment "TCX pilots are not overstretched” indicates that maybe you are not as "plugged in" as you may believe you are.