Kentucky Officials Have Ended the $18 Million Tax Rebate Deal With Ark Encounter

[muriel_volestrangler]

Quick summary: The Creationists behind Ark Encounter initially said they were building a for-profit attraction in order to get a lot of perks, including a tourism-related tax rebate from the state of Kentucky worth more than $18 million over ten years. But after the city of Williamstown said they would add a 50-cent surcharge to all tickets to pay for a safety fee, Ken Ham‘s team sold Ark Encounter to their own non-profit, Crosswater Canyon, because religious ministries are exempt from that kind of tax.

Earlier today, the Freedom From Religion Foundation announced that they had sent a letter to the Kentucky Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet notifying them that, because of the sale and new non-profit status, Ark Encounter is violating the terms of the tax rebate deal.

Guess what? They didn’t need to do that. Because three days ago, a lawyer for the Kentucky Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet sent a letter to the lawyer for Ark Encounter saying the exact same thing.

It has come to our attention that your client, Ark Encounter, LLC, is in breach of its Tourism Development Agreement… with the Commonwealth. On July 10, 2017, the Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet… became aware of a quit claim deed transferring the Ark Project land, with all the privileges and appurtenances to the same, from Ark Encounter, LLC, a for profit company, to Crosswater Canyon, Inc. a non-profit company.
...
Furthermore, as a the Tourism Development Agreement is between the Commonwealth and Ark Encounter, LLC, not Crosswater Canyon, LLC, the current owner, please be advised that no further incentives may accrue from sales tax imposed on sales generated by or arising at the tourism development project, as of the date of transfer of the property, June 28, 2017.
...
The Creationists running Ark Encounter just screwed themselves out of $18 million over the next decade because they didn’t want to pay a local safety fee worth about $700,000 a year.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/07/21/kentucky-officials-have-ended-the-18-million-tax-rebate-deal-with-ark-encounter/

[exboyfil]

1. What about the creditors to Ark Encounter, LLC?

I don't think you can just transfer assets in this fashion. Everyone who also purchased a lifetime member could also be considered a creditor. Maybe the new organization will honor the membership, maybe they will not but the lifetime members should have a say.

They sold a lot of bonds secured by the Ark. Are those bonds still good. Shouldn't bond orders be going crazy right now?

[COLGATE4]

2. Well, as the saying goes, "Render unto Caesar..." nt

[guillaumeb]

3. Recommended. eom

[Warpy]

4. He made the same mistakes Bakker did

He put this thing in the wrong place and narrowed his potential customer base down too far.

A look at Heritage, USA over on You Tube is sobering, to say the least. Bakker had ten times the draw that Ham does and it still failed. If old Jimbo had cut back on the preachy piety and turned one chapel into a beer garden, the place might have been more successful. Oh, and if he hadn't been caught with his hands in the till.

[Maggiemayhem]

14. My neighbor in the eighties

Her ex's family had a place there in Baker Land and she said they sprayed insecticide at night because bugs weren't allowed to exist there.

[colsohlibgal]

5. Good

These delusional people are trying so hard to create more delusional people. The Universe is not a few thousand years old, it is provable.

[central scrutinizer]

6. I can't pigeonhole Kentucky.

They do something good like this and they were one of the leaders in implementing ACA and Medicaid expansion. Then there is the Turtle and Ayn Rand Paul.

[Liberal Jesus Freak]

8. You should live here.

Thank goodness for liberal friends and family

[central scrutinizer]

9. I think I'll stay here

Eugene, Oregon

[Liberal Jesus Freak]

11. I don't blame you!

But this is where the granddaughter is and that makes up for a baaaaad governor on most days

[FailureToCommunicate]

13. And don't forget the tea-party whack a doodle Governor ...

Matt Bevin

https://republicinsanity.tumblr.com/post/110321020588/matt-bevin

[oswaldactedalone]

7. The arc encounter guy is an

incomprehensible, ferret-faced, idiot cockwomble, and an incompressible jizztrumpet.

[HuskyOffset]

12. I don't think he's

incompressible, I just think you're not using enough force. I'm guessing the weight of this fuckup is going to compress Mr Ham a bit.

[exboyfil]

10. Another cherry on top

98 acres of the property was given to Ark Encounters by the county.