The greater cost is the loss of freedom by restricting Constitutionally-protected and guaranteed rights.
Here's the thing though; those limitations have always been in effect. Here's a fed example:
http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/contriblimits.shtmlEach state has their own charts; google up your own state and see what comes up.
Those limits have been put in place to try to keep the political process as level as possible. A widely un-balanced political process means ruin and will lead to massive loss of freedoms.
Constitutional free speech is not unlimited; never has been, never will be. That's because it scares the Hell out of the gov't. Freedom and Liberty always do.
Those state restrictions will fall under Incorporation, as they should.
But on the political side, it's about balance. You seem to only want to think in absolutes; we don't really have that in government and really never have. Absolutes are for the Anarchist guys.
When something as important as our political process becomes clearly imbalanced, I don't see how you just ignore it because of principle. You said yesterday, you'll always find a way around. That's what un-principled people do (not saying you're unprincipled; I KNOW you are...you were just making a point).
So if unprincipled people are willing to side step our principles, if we simply stand on principle we will lose every time. When they usurp the system, you have to counter or it all comes crashing down. You will never write anything that is airtight, so you have to make adjustments.
