When the United States ratified the 16th Amendment in 1913 allowing a federal income tax, the balance of power shifted from the states to the federal government. The power to tax is the power to enslave.
A prime example of this came in 1973 when Congress passed the National Maximum Speed Law requiring states to lower the maximum speed limits to 55 miles an hour. It was in response to the energy crisis and designed to lower fuel consumption.
As the energy crisis subsided, many states began to oppose the lower speed limit, which was traditionally regulated by the states. The federal government simply told the states that they could raise their speed limits if they like, but they wouldn’t be getting any federal highway funds as a result. Every single state decided to take the money.
Years later, 14 states, including Mississippi, have refused to comply with the Affordable Care Act. As a result, these states are forgoing billions in federal dollars, which would boost the state’s economy through more spending in the crucial and growing medical care sector. Sooner or later these states are going to realize that the 16th Amendment is a very powerful amendment indeed.
