I'm a private pilot, over 20 years, own my own plane now for 16...and the FAA and the flying Nazi's are not our friends. Think of any JBT's involved with guns...and they have partners in the FAA.
Remember Bob Hoover, WWII ace, worked with Chuck Yeager and airshow performer extraordinar...two skank inspectors at the FAA claimed he was a lousy pilot, perjored themselves and Bob's medical was pulled. He flew in Australia with a co-pilot until the court cases finally showed the inspectors were scum and were jealous. Hinson, the FAA Administrator, would lie and evade when at the EAA convention. These inspectors can come up and do a ramp check for no reason, pull your physical for almost any whim and "bang" you don't have a job anymore.
The FAA is in bed with the airlines, the GA (general aviation) pilots are screwed. The airlines want everyone to pay for any use of the system (we don't use it, need the fancy radar, the big airports don't want us near them) and the big guys would prefer we don't sully "their" skies with our little airplanes. Kinda like the big gun dealers make nasty comments about kitchen table dealers to newspapers.
The FAA is bad news and is no friend of GA or pilots. If the ATF thugs want to find another agency, the JBT's are alive and well and working at the FAA. If someone likes the FAA and says their great guys, he's an airline employee or wanna be.