atomrigs I wholeheartedly agree with most of what you have said and I have been saying for a long time there's a big problem and the chart below says it all . and you have a good short term plan .
Short Term Action Plan

Stop powering down right now.
Stop voting for yourself and other whales.
Do not vote on a post if another whale has already voted on it.
Do not vote more than 2 times a week for the same author.
Spread out your voting power as much as you can.
Don't vote based on your political beliefs or your technological preferences.
Vote heavily on other blockchain platform and project announcements.
If you don't know or are not sure, give(delegate) your voting power to someone with better knowledge and experience.
Steemit, Inc needs to host more free giveaway events, contests, and challenges. Bring more active hobbyist and enthusiast groups and communities to the network.