To be honest, I think what is needed is a full time, fully qualified and experienced Safety Officer, who would have the technical expertise to assess risk and advise on remedial action.
Knowing about racing is not necessarily the best recommendation for knowing about safety. Having said that, I would expect the person who took the job to confer with riders from all levels to confirm things, and would listen when they pointed out anything they had observed.
At present, with the best will in the world, the people who are carrying these enormous responsibilities have to go to work 5 days a week, and try to fit in these duties in their spare time. Some of the other key personnel should also be full time, paid employees (of whom?). Some of them also made the mistake of assuming everyone under their "command" was doing their jobs assiduously, and there was no mechanism for checking that.
It is truly amazing that an event of the complexity of the TT has been largely run by volunteers for so long. Time for change.
However, I don't believe marshals should be paid. Those who marshal at other international events aren't, nor are first aid personnel at sports events. For some of us, that is our "sport". Having stopped racing many years ago, I do this because I enjoy it, and I feel I am putting something back into the sport.
I may say too, that I treat it every bit as seriously and conscientiously as if I were paid.... as do all the marshals I know.
It always amazes me the number of people with no other race experience who turn up, straight from work, or for their "holidays", and spend their time making sure others are as safe as they can be.
Noone enjoys that awful moment when someone crashes and you have to deal with sometimes horrendous injury or worse, but that is balanced by how good it must feel to know you saved the life of someone like Shaun... without the Hogg medics he would have died, and they were very heartily thanked by Fiona, when she met them.
Over the years bikes have become almost perfect in their preparation and maintenance... organisation must do the same.
Your thoughts are all welcome and interesting. I hope some of those in charge are noting them.