>> How in the world can they ever pay to replace that lost good will, demonstrated in the helpfullness of the community, and yet also be able to create a profit center?

I'm guessing that the person(s) who made this decision don't have clue about how the community and current MVP program ACTUALLY work. They're not even aware of the "good will" that is being lost. (At least not until they read -- if they do -- all the detailed emails that are telling them the real story) IMHO.