I've paid to have CentOS installed over the "free" (included) Windows OS on business machines.
Dell also sells Ubuntu desktops and laptops that cost more than their Windows equivalents. The cost difference is presumably because the Ubuntu machines do not include the crapware bloat that comes with Windows, such as antivirus trial subscriptions.
Negotiating / psychology 101: give a reason, any reason, for why you need something done. Feel free to add a comment to the issue request about why Linux is important to you personally.
Except I didn't do anything like that. Show me where I claimed to give an exhaustive list of what motivates people to use Linux. I gave one reason why some people use Linux. That I thought might motivate the author of the project. Besides that, it's a friggin issue on github, not an essay on why people use Linux. Get over yourself.
often used by people in preference to other operating systems due to a variety of reasons
Linux being available free of cost is certainly one of the least relevant features for me.