There definitely has been a shift in mindset. There was a time when there was an abundance of youth/amateur/2nd half riders who were all happy banging in laps, racing each other with the hopes of improvement and potential NL opportunities. The pool of riders was large and competition pretty fierce. Today the pool is much smaller and places are handed to those who are competent and have the right kit.
This has then driven the bigger issue of riders making the "next step" into CL racing. A rider (and family/assistants/mechanics) now has double the fixture list and more than double the expenditure. This turns a subsidised hobby into a financial black hole. Opportunities to work outside of speedway become reduced so where is the shortfall coming from? Sponsorships or asking for more money and/or a guarantee. Those costs are passed on to clubs and fans and the cycle or rising costs continues.
Riders aren't Pirates (except that lot) they should be able to ask for respectable compensation in exchange for pausing careers, dedicating an extraordinary amount of time and sacrifice in order to simply participate. The reason riders don't want to share their income and expenditure is simply because if you viewed it on paper, calculated an hourly wage from it 90% would sell up immediately.