I agree that throughout the years the main issue with WHM was its lack of MP conservation/restoration tools compared to the other mages. I never understood why WHM had the lowest Clear Mind trait of all the mages but had no form of MP restoration. Our potency makes up for a bit of that (“why cast 2 Cure IVs when you can cast Cure V once?” kind of deal), but overall we really had nothing naturally. However, with the introduction of /SCH, the ability to sub RDM (I still prefer /SCH but to each his/her own), and, in Abyssea, Refresh atma, some of our MP issues are becoming less severe. Would I like to see some form of natural MP conservation/restoration tool? Sure, but I don't think it would need to be anything drastic. Maybe a decent Conserve MP trait tacked on at a lower level, or a trait similar to the Orison Pantaloons +1/2 that stacked? Even something like a light-based Aspir that actually works on more than a handful of mobs would be nice. Drains a monster’s HP and converts it to our MP? I don't know. I'll leave that to someone creative.

Also, Cure II isn't as terrible as its predecessor. While it's still not great and I still don't use it as much as Curaga, it does come in handy for some older content mobs (Salvage gears mainly and maybe Cactuar) where I can sit in range of a moderate AoE and actually heal more than I was damaged for (unlike Cura which usually couldn't keep up). However, it is still a slap in the face for larger fights. Cure VI on the other hand is a nightmare. Like the OP said, the ratio of Cure/MP is terrible and is even worse outside of Abyssea when people aren't taking ridiculous amounts of damage. It’s a nice alternative if Cure V is down and someone really needs it.

Overall though, WHM is doing a lot better than it was in the older days. Afflatus Solace/Misery, Esuna, Sacrifice, etc. were nice starts and we have gotten other decent additions (especially inside Abyssea). However, a few tweaks here and there would still be appreciated.