I agree in principle with all of this but I think the opportunity starts with the economy.
The percentage of taxes does not have to change, it is the size of the tax base that must change. You increase the tax base by adding jobs and creating an environment where capitalism and free enterprise thrive. To sustain the standard of living in this country you must create wealth (wealth in a generic term, not wealthy per se). You must create something that people demand. Thats the problem with government. It doesn't create anything, just spends. Obviously much of the expense is necessary but you must have a tax base that is growing at a pace that is faster then the grown or the expenditures of government. How to do that is where the political divide is.
The irony is that the 47% of Americans who do not pay taxes consume the overwhelming majority of the tax revenue. I would be in total favor of a flat tax for everyone, rich and poor but prosperity in of itself is all of the tax overhaul a nation really needs.