Hive is currently run by a oligarchy where the top people just sort of high-five each other, and pat each other on the back, and there seems to be a lack of critical examination of the proposals.
Be careful what you say, you might end up -12 reputation!
The proposal system is badly designed. It should be removed entirely. Game theory doesn't check out. e.g.:
Alice has a $100/day project with an ongoing unfunded proposal. Bob is a whale and can vote Alice's proposal to move it into funded projects. Bob goes to Alice, tells her: 'I will vote your proposal for $50 per day'. This backroom deal is a win-win. Alice wins $50 per day, so does Bob. Who loses? All the other community members.
This is what happens in the top 20 and funded proposals. It will never change, because the witnesses (or more generally the elite hive circle-jerk) rely on the money to keep feeding themselves.
No whale is able to singlehandedly move a proposal that high. And if it gets the work done, well, who cares who takes the cut? The total amount given out is the same anyway, if the dev goes and buys dildos with it I don't care.
Vote when you want it funded, don't vote if you don't. Whales on HIVE are incentivized to have a good blockchain. Politicians in countries are corrupt because they don't give a shit. When you own a bag of 5 million HIVE you naturally give a shit. Making 50$ per day is like change.
The incentives make the game theory not as bad as you think, even though it's not perfect. When the SPS was originally announced I remember you being against it and we also discussed it in the comments.
I honestly hoped you would publish a proposal, I am sure you can do useful things for HIVE.