Umm, most of us do get more than "one penny" back, even during our working years. Protection of person and property, education to mention the most obvious. Also, it's not over 'til it's over. My brother in law worked until 62 at a high salary job, paid his taxes without fiddling them, luckily never needed any safety net program until Social Security. At age 80, the cost of two+ years of chemo, etc. has far exceeded all the taxes he ever paid, plus what his kids have paid, probably his parents, too. Lots of us probably remember the news story a few years back. "Get the Guvmint off my back" rally in one of our more backward states. A large number of participants were cluelessly riding around on Medicare provided scooters. Being smug about stuff like this means someone hasn't thought it through.