You are way, way too hopeful about politicians not being bought off. You don't have to buy them all off, just the last few (Landrieu, Nelson). If the money goes to their state, it takes a goodly amount. If the money goes to their own pocket, not so much. Just look at how many of the folks we send to Washington end up rich. Either their wife becomes a lobbyist, or they get wonderful investment help. The buyouts come in both subtle and crude forms.
This will take some pre-planning. Look at George Soros Secretary-of-State effort. One (or more) of his groups worked to get far leftist folks elected to Secretary of State positions so they could turn a blind eye to ACORN election rigging. They can do the same thing for the Governor slots. There is no natural law requiring governors to be loyal to their own state, or to be honest. Do you thing Governor Blago-whatever could not be bought off?
Medicare and No-Child-Left-Behind are the model on how this is going to work. Raise the mandates to where the states can't pay, and then take over both the program and the funding source.
And when the Federal Rate goes up, the PR story will be that the States just need to tax their rich a little more.
I live in New Jersey. Billions go out of New Jersey and a pittance comes back. Liberals won't yell much if "It's for the Children". H*ll, even at a state level, our RINO governor has decided to keep shoveling money to the failed big city schools and cut money to all the suburban schools. And not enough folks are complaining.
It doesn't matter how little pork comes back, if the pork goes to the governor's friends and supporters. There are some governors who might actually think about the state, but probably not enough.
If you want the states to keep the Feds at arm's length, then just rescind the 17th Amendment, giving the states real power in Washington again.
Slowhand,
The point of a 91% rate on all American earners had never been levied and never will was simply to demonstrate that it was even more absurd to think that State governments and their citizens would roll over for such an absurdity. The Congress has the power to raise the tax rate that high under our current system and under the system that would be established by the proposed 28th Amendment. However, despite having the power, Congress cannot raise the tax rate that high under either system because it has not political willpower.
Slowhand,
The new system is not a matter of being infinitely hopeful that Congressional representatives will do the right thing and refuse buy offs. This is about the simple math that there will never be enough money to buy them off with. Deficit spending is based on huge amounts of money the Fed Gov does not have. Unlike now, under the 28th Amendment they have to take this money out of State treasuries. If as a Senator from the same State you say “Look Governor at the great pork deal our Sate is getting in return!” The Governor says, “Yeah, and look at how much money our State has to payout to fund all the other States’ pork projects. It’s a huge net loser, Senator. I’m not going for it. And if you dare for it, I’ll make damn sure the voting citizens of our State know you severely hurt the State’s interests to the tune of several billion dollars.” - Do you not see how the deficit spending scheme is strikingly revealed under this tax system? You will not be able to buy the Governor of any State off because they will clearly see that their Senators are trying to bribe them with their State’s money. This does not rely on the good sweet heart of the Governor. It relies on him not wanting to lose State power.
Now you mentioned that it would only take the “last few” Federal level politicians like “Landrieu, [and] Nelson” to get the wasteful budget bill over the hump in both chambers in Congress. Okay, just explain to me how many of these Federal level politicians are going to be willing to throw away their cushy careers and be one termers. Because there will be no escaping their constituencies knowing that they voted DIRECTLY against their States’ interests. Please just answer that.