There is an important statistic missing from your reporting on the monthly visitor numbers: the count of visitors who are in the islands at any time, using our beaches, our streets, our public transportation and infrastructure such as sewers and water supply (“Visitor arrivals up, spending down,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 29).

The numbers are not in the Hawaii Tourism Authority press releases but they are in the statistics readily available from HTA’s website.

Here’s why the numbers are important. Just five years ago, in 2010, the average daily visitor census was 179,721. Through the first nine months of this year, the average number of tourists in our islands had risen to 213,863.

That’s 34,000 more people in the islands. Good for the economy, probably. Good for our way of life? Not too sure. I’m not against tourism, our No. 1 industry and employer, but planners and the general public do need to be aware of these numbers.

Russ Lynch
Kailua

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Lawmakers can’t also serve ‘aha

The election of delegates to a Native Hawaiian constitutional convention (‘aha) is going forward. The ‘aha will be held on Oahu over the course of eight consecutive weeks (40 work days, Monday through Friday), between February and April 2016.

The Na‘i Aupuni delegate election guide, distributed with the Oct. 25 Honolulu Star-Advertiser, shows that both state Sen. Brickwood Galuteria and state Rep. Kaniela Ing are candidates.

Can someone explain how Galuteria and Ing, if elected to the ‘aha, will be able to competently fulfill both their legislative and delegate duties when the terms of the two bodies coincide? The Legislature is in session from mid-January until early May. Both men must make a choice, one or the other. If not, their constituents and the public at large will be shortchanged.

Lynne Matusow
Downtown Honolulu

Allow planks for koa canoes

In 1940, there was approximately one approved koa canoe for every 12,811 people. In 2015 there is approximately one approved koa canoe for every 26,111 people.

A single-log koa canoe is a living treasure. Its beauty, importance and history are not diminished or their production limited by allowing koa logs to be cut into planks. Providing canoe builders with this option will in no way restrict the creating of a single-log canoe; in fact, it increases their historical importance and value.

Representatives attending the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association’s annual meeting on Dec. 5 should support the construction of koa canoes by the planked method to ensure the continued availability of our most treasured symbol — the koa canoe.

Brian Curll
President, Hui O Mana Ka Pu‘uwai Outrigger Canoe Club
Kapaa, Kauai

Poor test scores can mean profits

Test scores drop. Sales go up. As a longtime educator, I have seen all of this before (“Progress erased,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 28).

Test scores go up; it must be the student’s effort. Test scores go down; it must be the teacher’s lack thereof.

However, an overriding idea that is lost on many critics is this: There is no money to be made with success. There is only money to be made with failure. Test scores dropped? There is some corporation ready to sell its latest fix, and some legislative committee ready to open our checkbook.

When the same corporations that provide the tests score the tests, and then offer to sell a remedy for poor test scores, a red flag should go up. Businesses that make their profit off students’ test scores don’t mind failure. They have another product waiting to be bought.

Scott Gruzinsky
Mililani

Another vote on rail needed

It’s obvious the rail transit project is going to cost a lot more, and take a lot longer to complete than was originally announced. There have been many suggestions about how to keep the expense under control, but our elected government officials don’t seem to be taking notice.

Our city and state leaders represent the people, not their own ideology. Perhaps we need to re-evaluate the project, and take a vote on where the people stand.

Option 1 is to complete the project to Ala Moana, regardless of how much it will cost and long it will take. Option 2 is to stop the project at either Aloha Stadium or Middle Street. Option 3 is to stop the project in its tracks and tear down what’s been built.

This is a public project, not privately funded. We have the right to say how our money is spent.

Wim Blees
Mililani