The license is $70 for the year. In my neck of the woods the local criteriums are $20 per race. Road races average around $40-50. Doesn't seem prohibitively expensive.
I've had a license for only 2 years where do you get the "elitist, bloated and basically corrupt" thing from? As a lowly Cat 5/4 racer I never have contact with anyone from USA Cycling. I just go buy my license so I can race with my friends. Do you routinely interact with the organization itself? Plus, maybe I'm missing something but why wouldn't their focus be on developing the best young talent in the US for future cycling success? What other mission should they have?
How much did your State Games road race cost?