Yes, although things have been getting better, slowly.
I've found that the most effective solution for our organization is to build credibility by accurately forecasting the impact of failures. I don't mean apocalypse-level warnings, but simple facts like "if this server goes down, these are the services and number of customers (internal or external) that will be affected, and this is how long it would take (estimated) to go through the process of bringing a new server up."
I think most people on the decision (money) side can make logical decisions when it's presented in terms they understand. That doesn't mean they will always say yes, but at least you've educated them as to the risks.