Hi BearGear,
I think it might help if you could provide a link to your LED Strips.
I agree with your statement regarding the divider it does reduce the gate voltage slightly (and needs to be addressed). The only reason I often suggest the pull down is near the MosFet is because often the MosFets are on a different "board" often a plug in test board. So if the wire to the Arduino is not connected, the MosFet will remain "off" rather than float around.
All these type of decisions are application dependent and have benefits and drawbacks. Your point is well taken and I will likely mention it next time the opportunity comes up.