Rebutting Misrepresentations

Money in State Budget Will Not Be Used to Build the Ark Encounter (AiG’s Prepared Statement)

Critics of Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum continue to misrepresent the nature of the funding for a full-size Noah’s Ark and associated attractions in northern Kentucky. This project, the Ark Encounter, is owned by the Ark Encounter LLC of Springfield, Missouri, and AiG—with its expertise in running the successful Creation Museum—will operate the attraction. Contrary to many critics’ assertions, no money will be taken out of the state budget either to fund the Ark’s construction or to operate it when it opens (as we have stated publicly many times; e.g., see Feedback: Taxpayers Will Not Be Paying to Build the Ark Encounter).

Yet certain outlets (e.g., Ark Park Update: Ky. Gov. Says State Won’t Allow Job Bias – But That’s Not Enough and Tax breaks to build an ark? ‘Noah’ way, brother ) continue to make this false charge. Their writers have obviously not read the Tourism Development Act of Kentucky. So let us declare once again: if the application for incentives submitted by the LLC is approved by the state, the only people to pay any taxes related to the project will be the future Ark Encounter visitors. They will be the ones paying sales tax at the attraction, and the state will rebate a portion of the sales tax back to the Ark Encounter LLC based on the attraction meeting specific attendance-performance marks.

Ultimately, the Ark Encounter, projected to attract 1.6 million visitors in the first year, will add several million dollars to the state treasury each year and not take funds from it, as is often misreported. Furthermore, 14,000 people may be employed in associated jobs that are generated by the Ark project. (By the way, workers at the attraction and outside its gates, from upper management to service workers, will become taxpayers themselves.)

If you haven’t read our previous article about misrepresentations regarding the Ark Encounter, I encourage you to do so.

By the way, I trust people have learned the lesson over the years (just as we saw—and continue to experience—with the Creation Museum): don’t trust what you read in the secular (and some of the Christian) media—and certainly don’t believe the secular bloggers who often have no regard for the truth.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken