Artful Dodger: Sometimes its not fair to blame the taxpayer for what he doesn't pay. Its the system we have. Alot of what we do today with our social programs are not intended for 2012. For example my grandparents are 100 and 102. SS was not designed to pay benefits for 35-40 years. I was looking at a pay check of hers from 1944 when she was "Rosie the Riveter" at Martin Marietta (Now Lockheed) in Baltimore Maryland. She paid about 25 cents a week into SS. Now she only gets over 1000 per month.

Our tax system sucks. When I was self employed I depended on "cash jobs" to make ends meet. Many in the building trade do so. With our tax system it seemed that I was out to cheat uncle sam just to get by. Just on self emplyment tax (ss tax) I paid 15.3 on every buck I made. So I could of made 20,000 in a year (near min wage) and still paid 3,630.00 alone and no way to deduct from that amount. I may of paid no federal income (FICA) but I paid a lot of tax.....

I'm thankful I depended on the mattress bank of america. No earnings on my money but my parents taught me to depend on myself not the goverment. Today people take advantage of a system that is broke and most know they can do so. Lawyers even advertise to help you get disability benefits....Blame the politicians not the minimum wage earner.