However, I understand that maintaining features & options can incur costs,
Don't be persuaded by that argument unless you have a good idea of what the actual costs are --- especially when the one making the argument is also spending what is almost certainly a lot more on new features that almost no one cares about.
Same here. I also find this reasoning very disturbing and discouraging, even though I can live without this feature, and will most likely continue using FF after this change lands.
Stunned to see that's not the case, and completely baffled at how contradictory and indicative of incompetence this stated reasoning is.