"'The positive attention the Hokulea brings can only be good for Hawaii’s top industry,' said officials." Wow. Hard not to feel aggrieved by this statement, which regrettably reduces Hokulea's beautiful and important Earth-loving message of renewal and sustainability to a carnival barker's "step right up" cry for increased tourism, an industry that is NOT SUSTAINABLE as currently practiced in our islands - adding mountains of trash, untold millions of tons of green house gases from the airline industry alone - for the sake of which our government has sacrificed attending meaningfully to the needs of the growing masses of our houseless population. 

This thinking, pimping out Hokulea for its tourism-boosting ability, is the antithesis of what Hokulea represents for Kanka Maoli and many others worldwide who understand that without sustainability, this "Island Earth" is toast. Mahalo, Chad, for shining that light on how our government officials persist in their short-sighted thinking.