Isn't it just that there's too much money and too big an industry (with lobbyists and campaign contributions)? People are not happy with the system but they're less dedicated to pressuring politicians than companies who depend on the status quo. We all also hate the overly complex tax system that obliges individuals to calculate their own taxes and get penalized if they do it wrong, but tax preparers like Intuit can kill efforts to simplify it. I think in general we all hate some subsidies but recipient industries are effective in lobbying to preserve them. Etc etc.