I really hope you cannot simply buy your way into bounties for the price of a membership.  The prices to become a copper member is so low compared to potential payouts that I feel this avenue will be taken to abuse the system.  It would be cool if the Bitcointalk forum could somehow run a system where the bounties are not allowed to be participated in by copper members.  Those accounts I thought were used to help projects add imagery to their posts.  I feel like this issue could kill the entire spirit of the new rule. 

Somehow with the addition of the new 1 merit per newbie I think enhances the stand merit system.  I think it will be a huge help for all of the real community members.