Public money vanished faster than a drive into the woods. Governor Jeff Landry pushed hard for a LIV Golf tournament in New Orleans, promising a big win for the state. Now the tour filed for bankruptcy, and the state is stuck paying $1.2 million. That bill does not even count the cost to fix up the City Park course just for the event.
The fanfare from a year ago feels like a bad joke now. Landry stood with a club in hand at City Park’s Pavillion of the Two Sisters on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. He touted the event and the state funding with great pride. The tour is gone, but the debt remains. A letter to the editor by Nancy Picard in the NOLA.com report highlights this exact mess. The state is on the hook for the cash, and the course upgrades might have been a waste if the tour never happened.
Secret Deals and Bigger Risks
Now the governor wants to push even larger projects. He discusses a giant Meta data center located in Richland Parish. Vermilion Parish is where he also desires a massive SpaceX rocket launch base. These talks happen in the dark. Legislators and government officials sign nondisclosure agreements to keep the details hidden. They are supposed to work for the people, yet they sign away their right to speak.
These companies get huge tax breaks. Laws were passed to stop residents from suing if the businesses hurt them. The letter writer points out that these firms rank among the richest companies in the world. They are owned by the richest individuals. Why do they get tax breaks while regular folks pay the price? The LIV Golf deal proves the state can get burned. Now they are risking even more money on projects that could fail just as hard.
End of the Sportsman’s Paradise
The constant blasting of rockets and the drone of generators will change the land. These two locations will lose the “sportsman’s paradise” moniker. The air will be filled with noise, not birds. Nancy Picard questions who protects the welfare of residents and the state environment. The answer seems to be no one.
What happens if Louisiana and the parishes are left holding the bag?
