Yesterday afternoon, I was listening to AM1070 and heard an election ad for Larry Langford.

The gist of it was two women lamenting the fact that “internet ads” were already circulating targeting Langford and how Birmingham needs a change. They go on to praise Langford for his “vision” in creating Visionland (now Alabama Adventure) the biggest theme park in Alabama.

What absolutely gets my goat about that was the last part about Visionland.

In 1996, eleven cities in the Jefferson County area came together to form the West Jefferson Amusement and Public Park Authority. Under the direction of Larry Langford, the Authority petitioned the Alabama State Legislature for a $65 Million loan to build what was then referred to as the Visionland Theme Park. The loan was acquired and construction of the theme park began in March 1997.

Opening in May of 98’, and four years later under the leadership of Langford, it goes bankrupt in 2002.

It get’s sold to Southland Entertainment Group for 5.25 million and they drop another 5 million in for renovations. The park, now that it’s no longer under Langford’s management, is a profitable business.

So crunch the numbers….Taxpayers shell out $65 Million for a project that goes bankrupt four years later and can only be sold for less than a tenth of the original cost AFTER Langford’s leadership.

If this is an example of Larry Langford’s “Vision” of success, I imagine the only way Birmingham will get better is if he bankrupts the city in four years and sells us to Atlanta.

As for Langford, well,….he costs us all a lot of money without much to show for it.

Remember Visionland?

Cost us all around $100 million.. Sold it a few years later for about $5 million and called it a good deal.

Many good deals like that would be a really bad day.

Paking everything up and moving to a mountaintop sounds better after half a century and more of this nonsense here.

If I can put together a few dollars I will do just that.

If Unlce Larry and others like him would just keep their hands out of my pockets a few seconds I could do just that.