Hello 1814 and 1861. Chattanooga is the site of this year's Secessionist Convention, a gathering of groups and individuals who wish to see their state and region secede from the United States. Noteworthy is the coming together of the modern New England secessionist movement, centered in Vermont, with the Southern secessionist movement, exemplified by the League of the South. Other secessionists are expected from Hawaii, Alaska, and Texas. Story here. Link from Drudge.
The complaint that links these groups together--Yankee liberals and Neo-Confederates--is that the Federal government has grown overbearingly strong in relation to the states.

While secessionist movements may be fringe groups at present, we need to listen to them, because they do have a point. For the last 100 years the Federal government has gained power at the expense of the states. Today that power is exercised especially through money. The Feds collect taxes that are then given back to the states and localities through grants--that have strings attached. What would it be like to cut Federal taxes by the amounts that flow through the grant process, including administrative costs, and let the states decide to tax or not to make up the difference?