@tayken I'm a minnow like you so i can relate to your frustration, but i think that if you don't give up, your efforts will be rewarded eventually.
Those who write the hundred dollars posts are reaping the benefits of their previous hard work. The Steemit developers are trying to create an equal opportunity "battle field" and that's why HF19 was implemented.
Just hang in there, build your followers list, keep writing good articles and you'll soon reap the rewards too.
@recreator I'm certainly sympathetic to that sentiment...I just wonder if humanity can devise a system where greed and ego don't run the show...time will tell I suppose. No really...I'm very optimistic ;)