Cards have always had as more money than most.
When the Cardinals were sold in the 1940's, it was for the highest price ever for a sports franchise. They were the cream of the crop, the organization every other organization wanted to be.
From the 1953-1996, they were owned by Anheuser-Busch, one of the wealthiest corporations in the history of the world. Currently, they are one of the top ten most valuable MLB franchises according to Forbes. In the last two decades, they have finished less than 4th in the league in attendance once. They don't have a problem generating revenue. They never have, in their entire history.
They are one of the haves, not one of the have nots,