What about working age population? Surely it isn't that much. Kind of scary when you reverse the numbers. The number of people working certainly isn't enough to generate the tax income of the country has. Yet this game is what keeps people from open rebellion; embedded taxes.

Figure it this way, if individuals had to pay the full tax load out of their paychecks that they actually do most would more than flinch.

Regardless, current subsidies to many people are higher than 10k so it would never be set there. People would get all sorts of up kicks for dependents and the like because politicians need to buy votes and punish dissenters.

So if we just consider the working population, how much does it cost? Can we then rid ourselves of some government agencies which are devoted to providing aid?