@Grant

I hear you. I've seen DBAs light up with some glimmer of hope when I'm hired to reign in developers gone wild. It's because I sell my services similarly to how I just described things above.... The database comes FIRST!

No matter how good the code is, the whole system can become a cesspool of hatred and loathing if the DB is treated like an afternoon Access class at a community college. Most developers only see it from their side of the fence. "It's just data in a bucket." or "I can do it with text files just fine!"

Oh, I'm going to be sick just thinking of it.