The slow progress of LED is due to the slow adoption. I'm no tree hugger, but I am a dollar hugger. If the rate of adoption increases, so does the amount of dollars available for further R&D. At the rate of improvement in LED tech, as long as everything (including adoption rates) remain steady, by the time that $500 light fails (if it lives near the projected lifespan), you will be able to replace it with something better for less money and the savings over that lifespan offsets the cost.
If I can spend some extra cash today on something to save me a few bucks and may potentially save me some work later on, I'll do it. If nobody ever bought and tried new things, new things would cease to be created.
As far as extra mining and materials, recyclables and jobs...
Drop the whole political rant junk, nobody is here for that. Nobody is trying to save or destroy the planet in this thread and what folk spend their money on is no concern of yours unless you are a communist. The OP asked about LED pole lights.