That's OK we've got airplanes

Today Lamar wrote about a bill before the Legislature that would allow the cash strapped state to subsidize "religious theme parks" like this one here. 

If signed into law, HB 771, a bill authored and proposed by Louisiana’s newest and most controversial state legislator, could provide tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer incentives to subsidize the construction of large-scale theme parks by tax-exempt churches and religious organizations.  It’s an outrageous proposal, and what’s even more outrageous, the legislator behind the effort is suing the State of Kentucky for millions of dollars after it pulled the plug on new earth creationist Ken Ham’s ostentatious and delusional Noah’s Ark theme park.

You might remember that a "Noah's Ark theme park" was among the proposed uses for the defunct Jazzland/Six Flags site in New Orleans last year.

The proposed name for the project is Transformation Village.

In addition to re-establishing the Theme Park  at the existing site, they are proposing the addition of a Water Park to be called Atlantis, a Movie Back Lot, a Jazzland Resort Hotel,  a Hospitality School, a Resource Center, a lifesize reproduction of Noah’s Ark and a International Shopping Center.

A release says “the project is a multi-year Vision with a Team of professionals including  Eric McQuiston, of Eric R. McQuiston, LLC, Craig Dennis and Frank Scurlock, of Scurlock Development Group, LLC.”

Scurlock is the founder and owner of Space Walk and Inflatable Zoo and been involved in Themed entertainment for more than 40 years with extensive World travels.

That proposal, along with one other, was rejected by a review panel who found it was not financially viable. Actually, they used stronger language than that. 

A member of the committee charged with reviewing the responses called the two proposals an “insult to the people of New Orleans” because they lack specific details about financing, developer qualifications and other matters.

“This is too big of a project, too massive of a development project not to have meat on the bones,” panel member Jeff Hebert said. The proposals offer “nothing of what we need to be able to review to have intelligent conversation,” he said.

Though no one else on the five-member panel was quite so outspoken, they seemed to share Hebert’s sentiments.

“I’m not looking for a pipe dream,” committee member Justin Augustine said. “I’m looking for viable projects that can go to this community.”

Scurlock seems to have taken it in stride, though.  He showed up again recently during Jazzfest when he paid a skywriter to grace the city with a week of positive, vaguely religious messages and smiley faces. 

Words like hope, faith, and coexist have been inspiring city dwellers and popping up all over social media.

The messages of love were the idea of local businessman Frank Scurlock. He hired Hammond to write the sky messages after being moved by all of the recent violence in the city and across the country.

Apparently that wasn't all he was moved by, though. He also used the publicity to launch a Gofundme site for his Noigiler (religion spelled backward) foundation.  Look what that's about.

This mission is fairly costly as it's not local. It cost approx $24000 for the period rain or shine.  The goal is to purchase the "Sky Magic" plane and keep it at Lakefront airport. If purchased the cost will drop considerably and be easy to maintain. At that point it's just smoke oil and gas,etc. We have had offers of free pilots and hangers which is a great start and blessing. We are based out of Flightline First FBO who has donated services.

This is the beginning leading up Transformation Village which is the rebirth of New Orleans East reserecting Jazzland and the addition of a water park and resort hotels to continue to make New Orleans a world class destination.

While the skywriting was going on a few weeks ago, some of us did ask what the angle was supposed to be.

Did the skywriter finally show us whatever the ad was supposed to be?

— skooks (@skooks) April 30, 2015

And some others of us got all bent out of shape about the cynicism or whatever.

@skooks It's super quaint, and it involves looking up at the sky, which inherently instills a sense of wonder. Like hot air balloons.

— davegladow (@davegladow) April 30, 2015

 Welp.

Anyway, so now I have to wonder if Scurlock has any relationship with this Ken Ham guy.  How big can the Ark-themed religious amusements community really be?