these items without protest? I can see some pretty strong lobbying campaigns to keep benefits, especially if those benefits are to those who have the means to defend those benefits.

Regarding the hardly surprising, I would ask, why are you excluding FICA? We've had this discussion before, and you discount the argument, but FICA are Federal taxes that the working poor pay, and that adds up. At the end of the day, it is a value judgement as to whether taxes should be proportional to income or to means. I can make an argument both ways, but based on the increasing wealth gap, I would argue that the middle class/poor are on the wrong end of the equation.

And if you ask me, 20% going to the riches 1% is a tragedy considering the current wealth gap. But again, that is a value judgment.