My favourite solution is to upgrade the reputation system and limit maximum rewards based on reputation. Reputation should be determined like we determine our witness votes (https://steemit.com/~witnesses), so instead of reputation gained by massive (bought) upvotes on a post, it's something that can be given and taken-away depending on your actions. When voting for someone as "Good Content Creator" you are vouching for someone. It should also come with a negative option "Bad Actor", which would instantly destroy spammers, scammers and the likes.
https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@fitzgibbon/proposal-maximum-rewards-based-on-reputation
This could be good idea actually, I like the reputation system of steamtrades. But the rep in there is basing on only one thing it won't fit with steemit system.
Your idea of voting like a witness is better, I think it can be easily abused (make +1000 accounts and make them +rep people you like and -rep people you don't like.) But it's still a good proposal.
Witness votes are stake-weighted, and 'Good Quality Content Creator' would also be stake weighted.
Create 1000 accounts and you have gained no extra reputation.
Did you check how witness votes work in Steem right now?
No I didn't ... I thought everyone had the same input. Maybe I should research it sometime.
Well, I'm here to tell you, I never had enough SP to upvote myself to 70 and my few experiments with vote buying (very recently and very small) were not helpful in that regard either. I earned every single point in the open market.
Well then Mark, you seem to be the exception. Maybe I was generalizing, so good point!
Oh and well done by the way!