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Will this debate ever end?
I actually think it's over. For the free market, get-out-of-my-face rugged individualists that oppose some Washington desk jockey (who doesn't know Lie-Nielsen from Leslie Nielsen) mandating their sawmaker or personal safety, it's time to note that the free market decided Sawstop is outselling all other table/cabinet saws COMBINED by almost 10 to 1 in some markets. I believe all manufacturers were offered this technology and turned it down. I do love those big yellow saws, but they might only be able to be bought on the used market fairly soon. From a practical side, this issue is probably a done deal.

Quality is great-setting depth of cut is like spinning a bank vault safe-which is nice since you need one to buy one, right?

Not really. I sense those not able to "afford" one are also sometimes those fortunately lucky enough to never have been injured, silly, sleepy or just momentarily careless enough in any aspect of their life to have to have to deal with the lifetime consequences of a mistake. Or they are those unfortunately hooked on their $6/day smoking habit($2000/year plus medical bills...) but say they can't afford their meds or newest workshop gadget We all do dumb or unfortunate things. When the consequences are so very drastic though, even the rarity of the episode justifies the precaution to not have to suffer a preventable consequence, and that's where society does have a right to step in and regulate, I think. I'm a doc,I'm a woodworker. Thankfully I can afford one. Over the next 40 years though, this purchase will cost me well less than $100 annually. I've seen victims of table saws (ghastly) and sawstops (great conversations). Very expensive injuries often in the tens of thousands of dollars in repairs, lost work ,work comp hassles,... not to mention the emotional results of deforming injuries that can never be repaired to their original state. The costs to society are not trivial either...NOBODY pays their own bills and those most resistant to some kind of regulation are often the first to demand some exorbitant medical care that they expect society to finance.....

Anyway, its late and I'm ranting. Sorry. Please be safe. Remember that kickback incidents cause a REFLEX extension of your arm into the sawblade-an event and response whose signal never even makes it to your brain. Ironic, huh, that this is a reflex originally designed to protect us I suppose, but which has led to lots of lost digits...

Can't wait to get my more middle of the road Sawstop professional cabinet saw that was just released......