[DannyBee]

First, the majority of PTO revenue is from maintenance fees, not filing fees (this doesn't change your point, i'm just correcting you :P)

See http://www.uspto.gov/about/stratplan/ar/2011/mda_06_01_03.ht...

A large portion of PTO revenue is actually diverted to other agencies/budgets.

Google "PTO Revenue diversion". This has been an issue for various reasons for years.

So issuing more patents does not actually help the PTO in that sense, because they don't get the money they earn anyway.

They still have no real incentive, and don't really see themselves as the gatekeepers they really should. So you are right, but for the wrong reasons.

At least one good start would be for them to stop calling people filing patents "customers", as if it was their job to serve these folks.