The second scenario is what you are commenting on. Literally. It's in the article.
For those of us that like to read and think and then comment, it can be frustrating talking with people who are just gratifying their ego by putting out words with no idea of what the topic even is.
And you'll note that I said the second scenario is awful!
But paying a consultant to consult for you doesn't become a bad thing to do, even if you are a bad person.
Like, consider the opposite question: Why should expert witnesses, people who have absolutely no connection to a case beyond a level of expertise in some component of it, _not_ be compensated for the time it takes them to prepare their testimony? This isn't an employee of the city; imagine you're a construction foreman and you're asked to appear as a witness to describe your experiences on a typical job site.
Why should you not get paid for preparing and giving your testimony?
For those of us that like to read and think and then comment, it can be frustrating talking with people who are just gratifying their ego by putting out words with no idea of what the topic even is.