76 replies to this topic

[Rue Bella]

More fundamentalist idiocy. Unfortunately, these people vote.

http://www.huffingto...4b0344d514dea93

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Giant Noah’s Ark Attraction In Kentucky Features Caged Dinosaurs

...

Rachael Cross, who visited with her five children, told CBS News that the Ark shows actual history.

“The truth. The absolute truth,” Cross told the network. “God’s word is the Bible and it’s the absolute truth. I totally believe that.”

Critics said the Ark was a threat to kids.

“Basically, this boat is a church raising scientifically illiterate children and lying to them about science,” local resident Jim Helton told The Associated Press.

...

Ark Encounter employees are required to sign a statement saying they are Christians and that Jesus Christ is their savior, the Christian Post reported. In addition, the site has been given $18 million in state tax incentives, something critics said shouldn’t have been allowed, given its religious nature.

[LFC]

[Rich T Bikkies]

WHAAAT? The Flintstones is fiction?

[Rich T Bikkies]

Rue Bella, on 07 July 2016 - 12:32 PM, said:

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Ark Encounter employees are required to sign a statement saying they are Christians and that Jesus Christ is their savior, the Christian Post reported.

No harm in that. As long as the concern does nothing illegal and does not infringe the constitutional rights of its staff or customers.

ETA: I'm a Christian, and Jesus Christ is my saviour, but I'm not at all happy with Ark Encounter's attitude. Perhaps that's because Jesus Christ is my saviour, but he's no more than the savior of AE employees. Just SUSCI?

[Practical Girl]

Look into the tax incentives/breaks this project has. KY government giving HUGE birth to a for-profit venture (I don't give a shit about what they say they are) is a clear violation of separation of church and state.

Is it too much to ask that a fire destroy it all?

[Rue Bella]

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Is it too much to ask that a fire destroy it all?

LOL, are you suggesting a fast-track to hell? Seems fitting.

[MSheridan]

Practical Girl, on 07 July 2016 - 03:35 PM, said:

Look into the tax incentives/breaks this project has. KY government giving HUGE birth to a for-profit venture (I don't give a shit about what they say they are) is a clear violation of separation of church and state.

Is it too much to ask that a fire destroy it all?

A fire? C'mon, be real. What's clearly needed here is a flood.

[Bact PhD]

Practical Girl, on 07 July 2016 - 03:35 PM, said:

Look into the tax incentives/breaks this project has. KY government giving HUGE birth to a for-profit venture (I don't give a shit about what they say they are) is a clear violation of separation of church and state.

Is it too much to ask that a fire destroy it all?

That's what galls me. Granted, Red states seem all too happy to throw all kinds of tax breaks/Tax $$ at "religious" activities that may or may not be "non-profit" ("vouchers to sectarian schools" comes to mind as an example).

It would be interesting to compare the relative tax breaks Ken Ham et al. have received for this venture vs. what Walt et al. got from the state of FL/Orange & Osceola Counties to build that little attraction near Orlando...what's that place called again??

[baw1064]

Bact PhD, on 07 July 2016 - 06:30 PM, said:

It would be interesting to compare the relative tax breaks Ken Ham et al. have received for this venture vs. what Walt et al. got from the state of FL/Orange & Osceola Counties to build that little attraction near Orlando...what's that place called again??

One of my happier moments while living in Virginia was when Disney wanted to build a theme park near Manassas, but it fell through because the state wouldn't bend over like Florida had done. It isn't like northern Virginia needed more traffic at any cost.

[LFC]

[andydp]

Rachael Cross, who visited with her five children, told CBS News that the Ark shows actual history.

“The truth. The absolute truth,” Cross told the network. “God’s word is the Bible and it’s the absolute truth. I totally believe that.”

There is an inherent problem with making the Bible a science book. The Holy Bible is God's guidance throughout the ages and supposedly eternal.
Making into a science book leaves it open to be made irrelevant by a better science book.

Not ignoring the fact millions think Moses personally dictated the first five books.

[baw1064]

andydp, on 08 July 2016 - 08:01 PM, said:

There is an inherent problem with making the Bible a science book. The Holy Bible is God's guidance throughout the ages and supposedly eternal.
Making into a science book leaves it open to be made irrelevant by a better science book.

No, you just dismiss the better science book as "left wing science", and demand equal representation for "conservative science".

[LFC]

Williamstown has finally figured out that Ken Ham's Noah's Ark experience isn't going to bring in the magic money they they thought it would.

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Williamstown, Kentucky expected a big economic boon after the arrival of Ken Ham’s Ark Encounter in early July. The reality, however, is much different.

“We do have some (tourists) exploring downtown,” said Williamstown Mayor Rick Skinner “As the merchants are getting more advertising with the ark, we’re picking up traffic, but it’s not been as immediate as we thought it might be.”

The lack of tourists can likely be contributed to a few factors.

One, visitation to the park has been a lot lower than the expectations set by Ham. The crowds on opening day peaked around 5,000 and have not done much better since.

So what did they pony up for this amazing economic booster?

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Williamstown took a big chance on the park, granting the attraction more than $60 million in Tax Incremental Funding (TIF). Without such funding, the park would never have gotten off the ground. Over the next 30-years, 75% of the property taxes paid by the park will go back to repaying the TIF.

In return for this funding, and other state rebates, such as the $18 million sales tax rebate, the park promised to bring in tourists, hotel development, restaurants, and more.

Yet, with the underwhelming performance of the park, in its peak opening summer, developers have little to no incentive to bring their projects to the small town.

It's true. There really is a sucker born every minute.

[LFC]

Update on how the crowds of this amazing exhibit are bringing prosperity to the local residents of Chumptucky. (Spoiler Alert: It hasn't.)

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Kentucky’s Grant County Judge-Executive Steve Wood said during a recent budget meeting that Ken Ham’s Ark Encounter is great but that it hasn’t “brought us any money.”

Last year, the mayor of Williamstown made this same complaint.

Only 600 people showed up to the ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday for the attraction’s new exhibit, “Why the Bible is True.”

Ham still believes the park is going to hit the 1.4 to 2.2 million visitor goal by the end of the year saying they are “getting so many calls a day that they can’t keep up with it.”

However, even if the park does hit its goal, Grant Co. is still suffering.

The county is on the brink of bankruptcy and many had hoped that the Ark Encounter would help boost the local economy.

The truth is, it hasn’t. Ham had promised hotels would come to the region, major chain restaurants, and more.

None of this has happened.

The county is now looking at passing a 2% payroll tax on all county workers to help balance the budget.

Wood said he believed the park could help them.

“I was one of those believers that once the Ark was here everything was going to come in. But it’s not done it. It’s not done it. I think the Ark’s done well and I’m glad for them on that. But it’s not done us good at all.”

The county gave Ham a $74 million land grant for the park and it appears they won’t get anything in return.

Ham sold them a great lie like he does his followers. Unfortunately, it will be the citizens of Grant Co. who suffer while Ham counts his cash.

[andydp]

Remember that line in the old Temptations song ?

"Vote for me and I'll set you free !!!"

A 2% payroll tax on county employees' salaries. Great idea !! It's more fun if you use OPM (Other People's Money). Eventually, this mess is going to cost the Feds some money. Not sure how, but I can see some emergency funding need the county/state should have had but went to this guy.

[golden_valley]

"If you build it, they will come" turns out to be a good movie theme, but doesn't work out in real life.

[D. C. Sessions]

Someone help me with this. The made it a 2% payroll tax instead of a 2% pay cut? So the employees not only take a 2% cut off of the 100% before-tax pay, they also have to pay the cut out of after-tax income? It doesn't do any better for the County's budget, but it hurts the employees more.

That's either dumber than usual for Kentucky (pause) or intentionally cruel.

[Art_Vandelay]

Creationist Ken Ham Blames Atheists For Ark Park Failure

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Sad monkey: A bitter Ken Ham blames atheists and the secular media for the perceived financial failure of his Ark Park.
In a recent blog post to his Answers in Genesis website, leading creationist Ken Ham laments the supposed power of atheists and the “secularist media,” complaining that they are damaging the reputation of his Ark Encounter, and the economy of the surrounding local businesses, writing:[indent]

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Recently, a number of articles in the mainstream media, on blogs, and on well-known secularist group websites have attempted to spread propaganda to brainwash the public into thinking our Ark Encounter attraction is a dismal failure.
Sadly, they (atheists and the secular media) are influencing business investors and others in such a negative way that they may prevent Grant County, Kentucky, from achieving the economic recovery that its officials and residents have been seeking.

[/indent]
In other words, Ken Ham blames atheists for his trouble. Ham is refusing to take responsibility for his own failure, and refusing to take responsibility for his broken promises to the citizens and business community of Grant County, Kentucky.

[Progressive whisperer]

Of course! God wanted him to build this Ark attraction to spread to word to all the non-believers. If they didn't come, and make him rich in the process, that can only mean that the unbelievers defied the all-powerful, all knowing.,.

Wait, I'll come in again.

[gmat]

Like the one Gianforte bankrolled in Montana.

http://www.creationtruth.org