Man! That sounds like a nightmare. I know a little how you feel because I bought my 99 and the previous owner had some sticky tape on the dash which looked crappy, so I took some goo-gone to get it off. Well, before I knew it, the paint was coming off quicker than the sticky tape and now it really looked bad because I have a tan dash and the black underneath is VERY noticeable.
I too was considering painting the damaged area but I guess I won't....
In the meantime I took a tan clear piece of tape and covered the spot. Doesn't look the best, but it's better than it was.
I'm also interested to know if anyone has a way to fix your issue??