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.
It was not meant that the people pay 90%. It was meant that states would pay 90%. A state that collected no tax would pay nothing.
A 90% tax on the wealthy was accepted because the “little guy” thought he was getting some of it. A 90% tax on states would be accepted for the same reason.
If they want a percentage of the deficit, the more they take from the people, the more they get back from the feds. The deficit inflates the currency and states with low taxes see net outflows of wealth to high-tax states in inflation.