I don't think the IRR is so much a hack (it's a tool), but we're lacking the process and infrastructure to vet/validate that a given ASN is *authorized* to originate a prefix, and all of the policy bits (which the IRR has if you use it) associated with which ASNs should propagate the prefix, etc...
We're lacking the authority and delegation model that DNS has, I think?
ARIN holds the top of that authority and delegation hierarchy because they give out the ASnums and IP address blocks. They also operate a suggestion box here: <http://www.arin.net/acsp/index.html> click the yellow button that says "Submit a Suggestion". There is a formal evaluation process behind that suggestion box so if there is one or more specific actions that you believe ARIN should take, then file a suggestion for each separate action that you want them to do. To everybody on the list, please do consider making formal suggestions to ARIN. --Michael Dillon