There is an interesting story in Kentucky about a series of generous tax breaks given to a Bible-themed amusement park, Ark Encounter. The creationist museum is evolving into a heavily subsidized endeavor despite the absence of any independent study to support its projected profits and employment figures.
ThinkProgress and TPM have been following the story. Kentucky has approved a $43 million tax break for Ark Encounter plus a 75 percent property tax discount over the next 30 years. In addition the company received almost $200,000 from Grant County’s economic development office along with 100 acres of reduced-price land. There is also a promise of $40 million worth of sales tax rebates and a possible $11 million in improvements to the interstate near the project.
There is concern that the religious content of the project is generating this level of incredible support. While Gov. Steve Beshear (D) insists that the project will create up to 900 jobs and attract 1.6 million tourists in its first year. That is based on a feasibility study, commissioned by Ark Encounters LLC — and state officials reportedly have never reviewed the report.
By the way, Kentucky already as a Creationism Museum but it appears that this is survival of the most creationist.
Oh crap! Tootie is back. It got expensive for me last time but it was worth it. Tootie, I just donated $5 to Planned Parenthood in your name as per our original agreement that every time you pop up here & spew this sort of garbage rather than respond to it I am sending PP $5.
Bachman’s gonna read about this and want some more off the public teat!! Keep this quiet.
Tomdarch, how much tax support do you think a Muslim or Jewish theme park would receive in Kentucky? 🙂 How about a Druid/Neo-Pagan theme park with a recreation of Stonehenge (just because it’s cool- not necessarily accurate historically), sorcerer’s, and a weekly burning of a wicker man. Blue Man group could headline the entertainment?
I’m thinking there wouldn’t be many tax breaks offered. The Neo-Pagan park might just make some money though, there are a lot of Neo-Pagans. There could be a ‘Dunk The Roman’ booth. 🙂
Well said Tom! This is all about severing the separation of church and state if there is any separation left in KY.
Dear Tootie.
Loopa moopa – whoopdie fooble ooble doobie. Hooooha bloobla? Whoopdie fibble! Oooogle gloogle hooha woompa. Floobul hooble hehaw hehaw, snork blork.
———————–
Regarding the issue in this article: It brings to mind an interesting hypothesis to be examined: “Right wing politics (and much of right-wing religion) is, at its core, a money making scam.” Does the evidence support this hypothesis or refute it?
Ignoring the weirdness of a “religious theme park,” under what world-view does it make sense to set up a religious “anything” in the form of a for-profit business?
What if some company proposed opening a for-profit Satan worshiping theme park, (“Experience the thrills and feeling of power of serving the dark lord on our new 6 loop, catapult launched rollercoaster!”) If a few statanists got together, cooked up a financial plan that showed similar “job creation” and local economic impact, would the State Government be jumping to help financially support it?
What about a Zen Buddhist theme park? (uh, maybe a big empty space dotted with tatami mats, and park employees walk around whacking you on the back to keep you focused on your meditation?) Similarly, I doubt that the Government of the State of Kentucky would be extending lots of tax breaks or incentives….
A Catholic theme park? (With one of those drop rides where if you can recite a full Hail Mary on the way down you get a free token to play the Whack-A-Nun game in the arcade? I’m running out of snarky ideas here…) {Crickets} Bueler? No governmental support? That’s what I thought.
Outside of Utah, do Mormon religious enterprises get government kick-backs?
This is clearly one sub-set of one religion getting preferential treatment from the government.
That is a theme throughout the holy land
sprinkledsubmerged in the holy oil.The tax fleas do not bite the big dogs or their righteous hobbies.
Tootie wants special consideration for displaying the symptoms of a severe mental illness both in public and at taxpayer expense, simply because the good citizens of KY “want” it.
I want a govt based on facts and on superstition, but whaddya gonna do?
Say what?
Oh my. The left hates liberty and Federalism.
The people of Kentucky have the right to allow this if they so choose. The busy bodies on left have their dental floss in a wad only because of their hatred of Christians. The left is happy to actually fund (unconstitutionally) with federal grants and cash (and not just with tax breaks) the filth of a Robert Mapplethorp or Annie Sprinkle, but gets all self-righteous if a state which isn’t even funding something with government cash/grants/etc promotes a humanities project that is actually bringing desperately needed jobs to communities.
The
Catholic Churchgodless left will not tolerate any opposing viewpoints about the creation of the world or universe even if there is scientific support for it. And the leftist dogs will hound those who disagree with them to the ends of the earth and make sure their voices are silenced.Doesn’t the left have enough to do besides criticizing federalism and our form of government which allows Kentucky to do this?
Left wingers are demented and deranged. They are jealous of anyone who is providing jobs which they do not approve of, for decent humanities projects they ridicule, and that leaves citizens freer from the nanny godless commie state they promote.
Ken Ham is a decent law-abiding guy. Couple that with his faith and it is enough of a “sin” for left to begin their drive to destroy him.
Meanwhile, the president of the United States is honoring Muslims during Ramadan. You will recall that Muslims promote a religion which still believes that sexual slavery of women is a righteous act and is still authorized by god. It’s the same religion founded by an Imperialist polygamist who had sex with a little girl (age nine) when he was 54 years old.
Now that’s a religion the left and Democrats can get behind.
The title of the post should be “Creation Museum in Kentucky Showered With Keeping Its Own Money”.
One note about the feasibility study that was conducted for Ken Ham’s park. The study was written by Britt Beemer, “who coauthored a book with Answers in Genesis’s Ken Ham.” The study “is reportedly 10,000 pages in length, with a 200-page executive summary.”
http://ncse.com/news/2010/12/update-ark-park-006375
There is almost no one that believes the estimated revenues or job predictions, but KY continues to squander its limited resources on this thing.
Why would a for-profit business that isn’t acting in good faith continue to receive such preferential treatment? I wonder…
It’s possible the USA is the only country in the world experiencing an increasing religiosity.
Onward and downward.