I don't care about the price, It just sucks that there is ONE MORE thing I have to remember to do before traveling. It's not like going international isn't stressful enough.
You have to realize that every other country has been dealing with this forever, so think of it as Americans joining the rest of the world. It really isn't that bad.
The article and their website explicitly say that for the majority of people, the application is processed within minutes, unless you're on an interpol/europole watchlist and/or have a lengthy criminal record. The fee is $8/person, and if you can afford a plane ticket to Europe, $32 for a family of 4 is a drop in the bucket. And with the exception of business travellers, most people should be planning their trip well in advance.
How is that cynical? I see it as now Americans have to deal with what everyone else has had to deal with for decades, and the added requirement really isn't a huge burden. For a country like America that has a hardon for immigration and the like, it seems a bit hypocritical that we'd get upset the EU would like added protections at their borders. Kind of a leopards at my face situation.