Here is one reason why the French are in that position:

"France now has a higher tax burden than any other country in the euro zone apart from Belgium. Germany’s overall tax take is fully six percentage points lower, and Britain’s over eight points behind. Even Sweden, emblem of the Scandinavian high-tax model, takes less in taxes than France."  

http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2013/09/economist-explains-13

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_France

If you are willing to be taxed at the same rate as the French, you can have the same benefits.

There is no magic money tree either in Washington D.C., Salem, Oregon, or Paris, France.