There's no mystery as to why Obama needs his tax rate increase on the top 2%. The deficit? The national debt? ObamaCare? Nope -- that money is going to finance his family vacations.

According to the Hawaii Reporter, the total expenses of Obama's upcoming trip will match those of last year's trip to the islands -- about $4 million.

With the staff, special forces, local police presence and equipment, the President's visit adds up annually to at least a $4 million vacation courtesy of the Hawaii and federal taxpayers.

While the President and his friends pay for their own rental homes, taxpayers pick up the cost of security and waterfront housing for the Secret Service, Navy Seals and Coast Guard as well as staff accommodations at a plush beachfront Waikiki hotel.

TRAVEL: $3,629,622

In addition, Judicial Watch just released detailed expenditures for first daughter Malia Obama's trip to Mexico last spring. The teen and some of her Sidwell Friends schoolmates were accompanied by 25 Secret Service personnel in March, courtesy of American taxpayers. The information obtained from the U.S. Secret Service through the Freedom of Information Act comes right before the Obama's scheduled vacation to Hawaii. The breakdown of the $115,500.87 tab shows the biggest chunk going to flying the rich kids to Mexico.

Ground transportation: $23,964.81

Lodging: $21,682.92

Airfare: $47,767.34

"Vouchers": $21,636.14 (not itemized)

Support Charges: $449.66 (travel for one from Mexico City to Oaxaca, not itemized)

Here's a partial list of the 16 vacations the Obamas have already taken on the taxpayer's dime.

February 2012, Michelle Obama's trip to Aspen, Colorado: $83,182.99.

August 2010, Michelle Obama's trip to Spain: $467,585.00.

Secret Service records, meanwhile, show that the costs to the agency for the vacation were $254,461.20. This total includes $26,670.61 for a chauffeur tour of Costa del Sol and $50,078.78 for a travel planning company SET P&V, S.L. (George Soros is 50% owner of the travel company.) Taxpayers also paid the bill for separate lodging for a dog and its handler.

Summer 2011, Michelle Obama's trip to Africa with entourage of 21 people: $424,142.00. In addition, it reports another $928.44 was spent on providing 192 meals for the 21 people who made the trip.

December 2011, the First Family's Hawaii Christmas vacation: $4,113,038.

December 2012, upcoming 20-day Christmas vacation: $4,000,000.

These don't include the three consecutive summer vacations on Martha's Vineyard the clan enjoyed in 2009, 2010, and 2011. In 2012, an election year, the Obamas skipped a trip to the Vineyard as not politically wise. But as sure as Chavez, the Castro brothers and Kim Jong Un live in luxury while their people live in squalor, we can rest assured the Obamas will not be feeling any pangs of conscience as they jet off to Kailua.

We've already witnessed the Obamas skiing, golfing, and shopping all over the world while awakened Americans wondered what the hell happened to the $787 billion they forked over to this rapacious lot in 2009. The loco liberals who voted for him a second time love him so much they don't care where the money went.

If Obama succeeds in getting his way on tax increases, moochers and guilty whites will be glad to fund more of the first family's forays. While Barack and Michelle decry the evil capitalists who don't pay their fair share they take tens of millions from the middle class and spend it on lavish getaways.

Talk about holding the middle class hostage; it sure isn't the poor paying for the Obamas' banana republic lifestyle.

Read more M. Catharine Evans at Potter Williams Report