In the article in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin dated February 1, 2006 detailing the Democrat response to the president’s State of the Union speech Senator Daniel Akaka is quoted as saying, "Our country is suffering a terrible federal deficit and the president's annual push for tax cuts dramatically leaves the nation ill-prepared to maintain operations. We need as much funds as we can get and some of those tax cuts disproportionately benefit the wealthy."

The part of this quote that stands out is “We need as much funds as we can get . . .” Reflect on that a moment and try to fathom what this really means. It translates as “We want to tax as much of your income as we possibly can. And the more you have, the more we want.”

Notice too the justification for getting these funds is to “maintain operations.” Is this truly the case or are the funds really desired to maintain and expand entitlement programs? What is the fastest growing part of the federal government? Isn’t it entitlements? And isn’t the real desire to expand government “operations” into every aspect of everyone’s life?

This is the attitude maintained by the vast majority of elected officials in nearly all levels of government today. Expanding government’s purview in every way possible until there is no aspect of life that is not examined, reviewed, authorized, regulated and, don’t forget this one, taxed. This is the mind-set that Akaka’s statement so starkly reveals. These activities, these “operations,” must be funded.

The federal budget deficits and national debt, the growing debt service of the state, and especially the city of Honolulu, are just indicators of the fact that our elected officials do not have the will to get spending under control. But when the outlook is that all spending is fully justified and the problem is a failure to impose more taxes then there is no reason to find that will. Therein lies the real problem.

Senator Akaka introduced S 147, commonly known as the Akaka bill, and advocates its passage. One of the aspects of the bill, if passed, is that it will eventually set up a governmental relationship similar to Native American tribes. The goal here is to make available to the reorganized Native Hawaiian government millions upon millions of federal Interior Department dollars. It is any wonder that Akaka wants as much funding as possible?

Through generations of government entitlement programs a good portion of the American population has become spoiled. They do feel “entitled” to the earnings of others. That is the real significance of Akaka’s statement, he feels entitled to tax the income of those who he has mentally designated as “wealthy.” That concept is a relative one though, it all depends upon your perspective.

As a final caveat the predicament no longer resides with Democrats such as Akaka alone. Many Republicans, such as our current president and governor, cannot seem to grasp the concept of reducing spending rather than increasing it. They seem to have endorsed the Democrat idea that government is the solution rather than the problem, even though history demonstrates otherwise. That they are, at the same time, alienating their base is something they seem incapable of realizing.

So the significance of Akaka’s statement quoted at the opening isn’t that it was made by a Democrat but that it was made by an elected official. Advocating taxing ever greater portions of the people’s income isn’t a great way to endear oneself to the voting public, unless you are on the receiving end of the entitlements. The fact that no matter who gets elected the same policies are implemented is probably the main reason that so many people don’t vote in the first place. Why bother?