I doubt that a missing feature is a bug. I would have expected this post just like the original one in the section "general discussion".
I also doubt that the iTunes way is really the only way - or could be considered to be a bug just as well.
Fascinatingly, other use complain about the opposite effect: that the padding seems to stay the same
(see Remove Artwork and filesize stays the same
So i do not understand the point of the argument. What would be the benefit to keep the padding? I can only see the waste of disc space.