I agree with you that for our money we should get a new design instead of a re-hash. Unfortunately the ones that hold the purse strings are not always the most creative individuals. There are also managers that don't have a clue and are only interested in their department's bottom line.
I have designed pins, t-shirts and patches for several soccer clubs and youth soccer tornaments in the area. I am familiar with the processes. Except for the actual printing/manufacturing each process requires artwork. Usually a black & white drawing and a full color one.
In each process changing a color, be it ink, thread or colored glass, the easiest, and therfore cheapest, change to make is to change a color. (Which is a good thing when an error sneaks through!) Anything else requires re-tooling and that gets more expensive.
I don't know of an artist that is lacking in ideas. I myself come up with alot every day. Some get tossed, some get filed, and a few start eating away at you until you have to get them out on paper.