Actually, I think that paying for answers is the wrong model. Money is actually a poor motivator. Look at how much commitment and quality there is in Yahoo Answers, or Ask Metafilter. Two dollars is really sort of an insult, but recognition in public is free and valuable.

To: Google

The Google Answers service has helped many people during its four and a half years of existence, and it continues to do so. Researchers and unpaid commenters formed a community which should not be discarded lightly. Many repeat users were able to easily find answers to difficult questions thanks to the service. Furthermore, Google Answers proved that a living could be made working on the Internet alone, as many researchers worked on the site as their sole source of income.

We, the undersigned, believe that Google should continue to provide this valuable community service to the Internet.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned