With the trend of taxes being cut but never raised, and a tax system based on central power and centralized collection of revenue, local governments couldn't get by without massive central government support even if they wanted to.
整體稅賦只減不加，再加上中央集權又集錢的稅制設計，使得地方政府縱然有心自立自強、少向中央伸手，卻礙於制度設計而動彈不得。