The Politics of Bribery

"Many states believe there is little choice involved when the federal government has the power to tax citizens in the states, returning that money only if states comply with ever-increasing... mandates."

And that right there is the problem in a nutshell.  The Founding Fathers were clear that the Federal government would only have the power to spend money on the common defense and the general welfare and that it would only be able to raise funds expressly to pay those bills.  "General welfare" meaning for the benefit of all; not the majority, not the special interests, but for all.

Unfortunately, the result has been a government of good intentions, spending money on whatever program will help a politician curry votes.  Ironically if everyone plays beggar-thy-neighbor politics, we all get equally robbed!  The only difference is that people tend to be irresponsible with "free" money, with the predictable result of blossoming Federal spending.

The State governments themselves are even worse about helping themselves to the public trough; they get to fund programs without appearing responsible for the taxes.

The 16th Amendment allowed the Federal government to reach past the States, directly into the pockets of the citizens and then use that money to bribe the States into compliance with any number of unconstitutional mandates claiming it was just using the authority to "tax."  Fortunately more and more States are realizing that there is no such things as a free lunch and that these dollars come at a cost; to our freedom and our sovereignty.  However many people are already hooked, and the withdrawel symptoms won't be painless.  Let's hope we have the fortitude to stick it out; otherwise the States will continue to be puppets of the Feds instead of the check-and-balance they were intended to be.