I fully support the First Amendment to the Constitution of the US, so I agree that an individual has the right to believe in a literal interpretation of the Old Testament, even though I do not. However I do have a problem with public tax dollars being use to propagate Old Testament myths. That is exactly what Kentucky Republicans are doing.
A group that wants to build a Noah’s Ark theme park in Grant County [Pseudo-Christianity delinked] won preliminary approval Tuesday of state tax incentives of as much as $18.25 million to keep the controversial project afloat.
The Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority voted unanimously to give preliminary approval of the incentives for the $73 million first phase of the biblical theme park.
An independent consultant for the state will take six to eight weeks to review the project. It then will come back to the state panel for final consideration of tax incentives…
Inserted from <Lexington Herald-Leader>
The Pentateuch is not without its uses. I love the idea that I get to execute Republicans for eating a ham sandwich, and I still think I should get to own a Canadian, but I won’t ask others to pay to spread that belief.
Lawrence O’Donnell provided coverage.
International readers, who can’t view this video on MSNBC, can see it on YouTube.
Kentucky need to remember the Eleventh Commandment.
Thou shalt not commit TEAbuggery.
13 Responses to “Tax Dollars for a Myth”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Let's get all those Bible-totin' adulterers and stone 'em to death.
It's nigh unto impossible to fathom Talibangelical christianists.
They have no problem believing a 480 y/o man with a couple hundred y/o sons can take 120 years to build an ark … AND THEN gather a pair of EVERY ANIMAL (including polar bears and penguins that just happened to amble down to the Middle East) … AND THEN have their loving, merciful God create a flood that KILLED EVERY HUMAN BEING ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH (except Noah's immediate family) …
But anthropogenic climate change is just TOO MUCH TO BELIEVE!
Lord have mercy.
I have come to believe, and I know many here agree, that all tax exemptions for all non-profits should be abolished. Period. Federal, state, and local alike. But I have to point out that if Kentucky has this Let's-Support-Tourism law, and it would apply to, say, a Star Wars Theme Park, it would legitimately also apply to this Awk Pawk. Both are fantasy. The fact that one is religious fantasy would be irrelevant. Abolishing tax exemptions would not change it, except that tax dollars might then flow both ways.
I totally agree with you Joanne. I also think it is past time for churches to pay taxes, too. There are too many mega churches who have millions of dollars in real estate and actual cash who are involving themselves in politics. The bottom line in Kentucky is anything that will make jobs and increase the tax base.
I have to disagree, as the Treasurer of s nonprofrit. Tax exemption allows me to deduct my out of pocket costs for the volunteer work I do in prison, for which I have never taken a nickel in compensation. My group follows the rules. The groups that flaunt the law should lose their nonprofit status.
TC, I don't do your tax returns, so I don't know whether you are doing Schedule A or whether those deductions come off the top. But my experience is that most people making under $50,000 a year are better off with the standard deduction. If you are able to deduct your expenses without Schedule A, that is a problem and I apologize. I did think about small volunteer groups doing actual good work though, and my thought there was that, with our graduated tax structures, very little would be paid by these groups (and the structure could be overhauled to make it so if it isn't already, which it should be anyway). The hits would go to the mega-churches, Americans for Prosperity, and the like.
In Oregon, you can take the standard very tiny State deduction, or the Schedule A deduction, even if you take the standard federal deduction.
If Kentucky doesn't mind being seen as even more stupid than the usual suspects (Mississippi or Alabama spring to mind), then they Should LOAN the money to this idiotic "theme park". – tax exempt is pushing it, even IF it's billed as not-for-profit (not for prophet? ;). Gifting the park the money is just too much like tithing for favors – but is very Dark Ages, buying indulgences on earth to get yourself or others out of hell…maybe it'll keep the kids from running away to Colorado (or *shudder* that permissive state, Alaska! 😉
PS. Love SoINeedAName's "Talibangelical christianists." 🙂
The OLDTestament. FAIRY STORIES. SPARE US PLEASE.
There are MUCH BETTER uses for the money. Such as taking care of people.who, thanks to Lyin Ryan and the repugs are in desperate need.
Joanne D has it right. This is all about tourism dollars and they know there are plenty of people in the Bible belt who will come.
There might be lots of tourists in the Bible belt, but I suspect this may be one ark that won't float!
Personally, I have problems with taxpayer funds being used for private enterprise like this. Not only that, why should a Muslim or Buddhist or someone from whatever other religion have their tax dollars used like this? I did not include the Jews because Noah's Ark is from the pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Bible), part of the Torah.
With just a little more passion, O'Donnell could be mistaken for Keith Olberman. I rarely watch TV, so I'm mostly not familiar with Lawrence O'Donnell, but I like that he's disdainful of the bible thumpers' favorite myths.
Thanks all!