This would be great, if the states had comparable resources and economies, like they (mostly) did when the country was founded. But it hasn't been like that for a very long time, and there are benefits to having the wealthier states help the less wealthy states get some of these things done. That's only going to happen through federal coercion, because states won't volunteer their resources otherwise. (Except for special situations; TX and FL would be getting assistance now from the whole country even if the federal government wasn't involved.)
