This is so simple Anything that changes the law after the application is submitted is "ex post facto" law and as such is unconstitutional. The federal government is prohibited from passing ex post facto laws by clause 3 of Article I, section 9 of the U.S. Constitution. As such, such changes (such as mandatory caps) will be the source of unending lawsuits, which is in no one's benefit (except the attorneys), and the spectrum will remain fallow. These applications have been submitted in good faith and must be processed. However, by simply letting the applicants modify their filings and communicate (even negotiate) settlements would resolve most of the applications and the law at the time of filing would easily resolve the remainder. That law says any commercial applications go to auction with all other commercial applications in that Mx group and any noncommerical applications in groups that also contain commercial applications must be dismissed. The remaining noncommerical groups are processed by a point system. As to LPFM, let them apply using existing, well established translator rules, including 250 watts at low elevations, directional antennas for contour protection and D/U protection of 2nd and 3rd adjacent stations. There are plenty of free frequencies using those rules and thousands of LPFMs could be created. The current LPFM spacing rules are very poor and restrictive and should be abandoned, since they allow very few new stations (even if all translator applications were dismissed) and still result in unacceptable interference in many situations.