In today's schools, why are advanced (GATE, honors, and AP) the target of criticism from parents and students?

I'm with you on this one. I was in Gifted (Advanced, high IQ... Basically honors cles) from Kindergarten through 8th grade, and was placed in Honors and AP cources in Highschool, but because the programs had such poor funding, they were no better--possibly worse--than the regular ed. cles. We couldn't afford the books and other materials the cles required, and the advanced Chemistry cl had virtually no lab time because of limited supplies and students who couldn't pay the outrageous lab fees. It resulted in a lot of students (myself included) withdrawing from the public schools and being home educated so that they would be able to work at their leve and not be held back by a lack of funds. It isn't fair, and I'd like to know why it has to be this way.