The 2005 American Community Survey for California, recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau, confirms Native Hawaiians' ability to prosper without special government programs. In fact, it proves that Native Hawaiians do better when treated equally.

The estimated 65,000 Native Hawaiian residents of California, with no Office of Hawaiian Affairs or Hawaiian Homes, or other such race-based entitlements, enjoyed higher median household ($55,610) and family ($62,019) incomes, relative to the total California population ($53,629 and $61,476 respectively), despite having smaller median household and family sizes.

In OHA's latest grant report, it shows that 10 percent of its operating budget went to support their "Community Grants Program". Their breakdown also shows that 100 percent of both its Education and "Native Rights, Land and Culture" grants were distributed in the State of Hawai'i. An analysis of the listed grants showed that there were no programs outside of Hawai'i. Thus, no Native Hawaiians in California, or anywhere outside of Hawai'i, benefit from OHA.

California is particularly appropriate for comparing earning power because California has the greatest Native Hawaiian population outside of Hawai'i; and it happens that the median age of Native Hawaiians residing in California, 33.7, is almost identical to that of the whole state's, 33.4 years.

Some may argue that the Native Hawaiian statistics in other states represent an out-migration of well-to-do Native Hawaiians. But if this is the case, the lower statistics of those Native Hawaiians who have stayed in Hawai'i are simply an artifact of the well-off moving away, and not due to any systemic bias against Native Hawaiians.

It is much more likely that those Native Hawaiians who have chosen to leave the state did so for economic reasons, and their significant success outside of the state reflects poorly on the race-based programs only implemented in the Islands.

The fact that Native Hawaiians succeed without government programs targeted toward their community was suggested in the Census 2000. This data showed that the then-60,000 Native Hawaiian residents of California enjoyed comparable relative median household and family incomes, despite their five-year younger median age.

Despite these numbers, some local media in Hawai'i — not including The Advertiser — have cited the recent ACS as showing that "Poverty still grips Hawaiians" and "Census survey shows need for assistance to Hawaiians."

But the survey shows this isn't true.

Age makes a huge difference in earning power. Data show the older you are, the more money you make. The statistics showing a lower median income for Native Hawaiians in Hawai'i are actually a result of the 14-year difference between the average age of Native Hawaiians and that of the overall population of the state.

With the facts showing improved Native Hawaiian prosperity when treated equally, and a clearer understanding of the effect median age can have on income statistics, it was surprising to see the Nov. 27 headline in The Honolulu Advertiser: "OHA push for Akaka bill topped $2M".

That's well over $2 million of taxpayer money spent to lobby for a bill that would potentially divide the State of Hawai'i and give away much, perhaps all, of the state and its governing power and jurisdiction to a brand new sovereign nation of, by and for Native Hawaiians.

The Akaka bill got started when race-based programs were challenged in Hawai'i — programs that have existed for decades, and have apparently done a great disservice to Native Hawaiians when compared with their counterparts in other states without such race-based entitlements.

In addition to the millions of dollars spent on lobbying for the Akaka bill, the bloated (and very powerful) bureaucracies of OHA and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands have cost the State of Hawai'i millions since 1990. Federal entitlements for Native Hawaiians have added millions more.

There is no doubt that there are people in need in Hawai'i — but these people are of all races and backgrounds. We neglect too many of those in need when we target our help toward one certain ethnicity, and do more damage than good to the ethnicity we target. A closer look at the statistics shows us clearly that no Hawai'i residents, of any race or ethnicity, have a need for the Akaka bill.

Jere Krischel was born and raised in Hawai'i and now resides in California with his wife and two young children. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.