Hi O, You make very good points here.
It is all too common that money is the guiding principle for hiring. I don't know how many times that IS the recruiters' first question. I have often kept that question at bay by saying that it depends on the "responsibilities and demands" of the position. Then again, I have had one recruiter yell at me for not giving a number answer.
Sometimes I wonder what would happen if the hiring company was more open about its own ranges. Alas, it seems more commonly I find, 'What is mine, is mine and what is yours is also mine'. ;) Matt