The irony of for-profit (= for pay) standard is this: If someone provides a product for a price, then others should be able to produce a similar but better product for similar or better price. In the case of SQL that would mean there should be alternative standards provided by different vendors. But then if there are multiple standards, it can hardly be called a "standard".

I think tax-payer money should pay for standards, because they benefit us all. It is like the highway system, or clean air, and water.