Creationists Have Sold Ark Encounter. To Themselves. For $10. To Avoid Taxes.

http://www.patheos.com ^ | 7/17/17 | Hemant Mehta

[Rebelbase]

I’ve posted before about how Williamstown (Kentucky) officials are instituting a “safety fee” for ticket-taking attractions in the city.

If implemented, the city would charge Ark Encounter 50 cents per ticket to go towards things like fire trucks and police cars — all the things that make the city a safer place for residents and tourists. Using the estimate of 1.4 million visitors a year, this would amount to approximately $700,000 that Ark Encounter would owe the city annually.

The Creationists at Ark Encounter, however, say they should be exempt from that charge because they run a non-profit ministry. You wouldn’t force a church to pay taxes, now, would you?!

The problem is that up until now, Ark Encounter has legally been a for-profit business in order to receive a number of tax incentives from the city and state. That’s why officials in Williamstown figured they could ask Ark Encounter to pay up. It’s not a church; it’s a money-making tourist attraction. They recently went ahead with their plans to make Ark Encounter pay the fee.

City leaders are now bracing for a lawsuit from the very organization that was supposed to save the local economy.

Meanwhile, Ark Encounter just took the boldest step yet to avoid paying the 50 cent surcharge.

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader‘s Linda Blackford, the team behind Ark Encounter recently sold the land on which the giant boat rests for a whopping $10.

… Ark Encounter LLC sold its main parcel of land — the one with the life-size Noah’s Ark — for $10 to their non-profit affiliate, Crosswater Canyon. Although the property is worth $48 million according to the Grant County Property Valuation Administrator, the deed says its value is only $18.5 million.

That’s the latest salvo in an escalating argument between local officials and Ark Encounter, but some are worried Ark Encounter’s maneuver is a precursor to declaring itself exempt from all taxes, including property taxes that help fund Grant County schools.

Just to summarize here, Ark Encounter used its for-profit status to receive all sorts of tax breaks. Then the Creationists told Williamstown officials that they ran a non-profit ministry to avoid paying more taxes. And now they’re basically confessing that they were a for-profit business this whole time because they just sold the boat to the non-profit entity that oversees it.

If that’s confusing… well, welcome to how Creationists think.

Let’s suppose for a moment that all of this is legal. At best, it suggests that Ark Encounter is incredibly unethical. Williamstown gave the Creationists cheap land and tax breaks galore over the next few decades with the hope that Ark Encounter would eventually create lots of jobs and bring in tourists who would spend money at surrounding businesses.

Ken Ham is paying them back by restricting jobs to his anti-gay Creationist buddies, threatening to sue the city over the safety fee, and finding a way to possibly withhold taxes that would fund local schools.

[Mayor Rick] Skinner said losing all of Ark Encounter’s property taxes would hurt the city, county, and most of all, schools.

“It would be a huge hit to the schools,” he said.

Skinner said he is “disappointed” in how much the town’s relationship with Ark officials has deteriorated, but said he would wait to comment further until Tuesday’s meeting.

Here’s a statement that will surprise nobody: Ken Ham doesn’t care about public schools. When you’re playing the game of Christian indoctrination, education is the enemy. You think Ham gives a damn about public schools not getting money from his business? Not a chance. He’ll consider that a victory.

Once again, Creationists are screwing over the city that bent over backwards to give them a home. Critics have been saying that for years. Unfortunately, it looks like local officials are finally realizing it when it’s too late.

(Thanks to Matt for the link. Portions of this article were published earlier)

[Timpanagos1]

Again it’s from Ken Ham’s FB page.

The only perception that could be made is how it is explained by Ken Ham:

We now have new permanent rainbow lights at the Ark Encounter so all can see that it is God’s rainbow and He determines its meaning in Genesis 6.
The rainbow is a reminder God will never again judge the wickedness of man with a global Flood—next time the world will be judged by fire.
The Ark is lit permanently at night with a rainbow to remind the world that God owns it and He decreed it’s a sign of His covenant with man after the Flood—Christians need to take back the rainbow as we do at the Ark Encounter.

[tang-soo]

Maybe you think that picture means one thing, but I'm 100 percent sure this is the intent ...

11 And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.

12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:

15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

Genesis 9:11-16 (KJV)

Taking back God's symbol - the one appropriated by the gay lobby.

[FreedomNotSafety]

Typical of this incentive deals. The locals didn’t do such a good in striking the deal now they want to whine. The guy writing this is gleeful but it’s the wrong take for FR. Politicians should treat everyone equally including businesses.

[Secret Agent Man]

This is clearly a biased piece with a writer who has it in for them. Anti gay creationist buddies?

Yeah objective and unbiased and fair, sure.

It also sounds like the city decided to add on a tax to each ticket after the deals were done but the writer glosses over that fact too. What else did the city alter afterwards?

[publius911]

It is SUPPOSED to be God’s rainbow according to the exhibit people.

Only brain-dead diseased pervert minds are stupid enough to buy that absurdity...

[TianaHighrider]

Your reply posted: Matthew 10:16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” But they apparently acting very shrewdly!
~*~*~*~
That is so perfect!
I need to remember that. All of us need to remember this in a multitude of situations and dealings. Being a ‘squish’ isn’t the way to fight injustice and evil. Great lesson in this verse and the story posted above.

[lacrew]

I'm torn on this. It sounds like the city gave Ham a bunch of tax breaks to bring in the development...a tactic I believe should be stopped nationwide, but neverless is very common.

Then the city pulled a switcharoo and tacked on a per ticket tax. My city has lured several factories in with tax incentives...but it has never done such a switcharoo.

I wonder why, given the justificatiin for the tax, the city didn't used a hotel bed tax instead...the answer may be that Ham is in their crosshairs.

[Lurking Libertarian]

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader‘s Linda Blackford, the team behind Ark Encounter recently sold the land on which the giant boat rests for a whopping $10.

Can you say "Uniform Fraudulent Transfers Act," boys and girls?

I knew you could!

[Wilhelm Tell]

They are going from Creat(ive) “Science” to creative bookkeeping.

[KyCats]

Sounds to me like the city is trying to impose a disguised income tax directed at only 1 business in the city.

[Wilhelm Tell]

Introducing our newest attraction, the Audit Encounter!

[Garth Tater]

It is SUPPOSED to be God’s rainbow according to the exhibit people.

Only brain-dead diseased pervert minds are stupid enough to buy that absurdity...
_______________________________________________________

I buy it. Didn't realize I was brain-dead, diseased, perverted and stupid. You won't tell anyone will you?

Frickin' idiot

[HiTech RedNeck]

I wish they would not do this. It reflects badly on Christendom.

[Oztrich Boy]

Australia breeds the best con men.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I’d like to know just how “perfect” a gospel witness this is.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I don’t know in general but maybe it did here. It just seems so... fabulous.

[Darteaus94025]

“...welcome to how Creationists think.”

Welcome to [how journalists explain] how creationists think.

Do the 1.4 million visitors per year purchase gasoline in the town? Do they stop at a local restaurant and get something to eat? Do they stay at the hotels or motels in the area? Do they see and go to other things nearby?

So, the only organization that brings 1.4 million visitors - cash spending visitors - to the area must now start paying a tax designed to apply to that business only.

Greed indeed!

[HiTech RedNeck]

Sometimes bible explications can be technically right and all gospel wrong.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I don’t know. The feud could bring more dollars and more curses too.