Counterpoint, I don't mind doing things this way so long as the mandate is reasonable.

If the federal government pays for this, they are guaranteed to have to overpay. If they set a mandate, it means states (and individuals) have tons of freedom and flexible in how they want to pay for it.

No one bats an eye at new car safety regulations or fire codes. If it's sensible enough, the market can pick up a lot of slack.