Any way to make quicklaunch and taskbar icons same height?

I added the quicklaunch bar back to the taskbar (so that I can open new programs with one click instead of the retarded two that Windows 7 wants). Anyway, when I do this, the large icons in the quicklaunch bar cause the whole taskbar to increase in height, meaning that my mouse cursor now has to be on the taskbar icons instead of them still highlighting if the cursor is at the bottom of the screen. It's an annoyance, albeit one I've come to expect from Microsoft's incompetence. Isn't there some way to make them the same height? Pic below for clarification.

P.S. Don't tell me to use the small icons, because then they're too small and I still have the same problem but in reverse regarding them not highlighting if my mouse is at the bottom of the screen.

132 views and zero responses? Come on, someone has to know.