I really like the core comment made by Jeremy Miller
here. Really, this is similar in flavor to the comment that Alan Cooper borrowed from Drucker. (Summary: good people are worth the cost.)
Good developers tend to migrate to good shops. JP Boodhoo phrased it well. Many good developers eventually get to the point where they realize the truism "if you can't change the place where you work, change the place you work."
I came to this realization several months ago. I was tired of being told things would change, but having no support when I tried to make those changes. I eventually came to the conclusion that I didn't have the energy to effect change throughout an entire organization that had no understanding of software development.
I don't claim to have that great understanding. If I thought I did, the past week (MVP summit plus the ALT .NET conference) would have cured me of any such delusions of grandeur. But, at the end of the day, I have to agree with Jeremy -- there is a core of software development fundamentals that transcend language, but are essential for the professional developer to understand.
The challenge is to instill this understanding in the average developer... and it's the responsibility of the "alpha geeks," as community leaders, to attempt to convey this knowledge to their peers. And you don't have to be an "alpha geek" to get out there and learn.