Particularly striking is the fact that the same phenomenon, though less dramatic, is evident for corporate tax and social insurance collections.

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The biggest share of government benefits, meanwhile, goes to the elderly, in the form of Medicare and Social Security. (If you count tax breaks for mortgages and health insurance as government hand-outs, the rich are big spongers.) Only 13% of households receive food stamps, and only 5% benefit from public housing.

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Without the option of marriage, same-sex couples in years-long, committed partnerships regularly find themselves out in the cold when negotiating joint tax filing status, Social Security survivor benefits, hospital visitation, immigration and insurance benefits.

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Those include beginning and expanding an option for personal savings, investment and insurance accounts for Social Security and Medicare, eventually expanded to finance all the benefits financed by the payroll tax today.

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