Nick and Dave, of course you're right in theory. This is a heavy fix to mask a problem that couldn't get past certification.
Unfortunately it is probably the only economic fix. An aerodynamic fix may have been possible, but would have cost the company and ultimately the customer. That fix may also have come with a performance penalty that is worse than the loss of 75lb of payload.
I don't have the stats on other fleets, but it seems that this aircraft's short life has already had more than its share of accidents and media attention.