Good Incentives Gone Awry: Kentucky Officials Are Adamant About Propping Up The 'Ark Park'
I understand the pull of museums. What I don't understand is why officials in some parts of the country can't seem to differentiate between a professional science museum and a tawdry tourist trap run by fundamentalist zealots. Consider the case of the "Ark Park" in Kentucky. An outgrowth of the Creation Museum, the Ark Park - an attraction that will supposedly feature a replica of Noah's Ark (more accurately, a replica of what some fundamentalist believes Noah's Ark looked like) - has been mired in controversy for years. The attraction is clearly designed to promote fundamentalist views of the Bible, views that stand in sharp contrast to modern science. The man behind the park, Australian creationist Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis, seems to have, at best, shaky funding for the enterprise. Yet despite all of this, Kentucky officials are rushing to pledge taxpayer support for the park. Most recently, the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Board voted unanimously last week to approve a package of tax breaks for the park, which is formally known as the Ark Encounter. The incentives total $18 million. The park is supposed to be built in Williamstown, a small city with a population of about 3,200. Williamstown and surrounding Grant County are facing tough economic times, so it's understandable that state officials want to help out the folks there. But surely they can do better than this. Even if the park comes to pass, it's most likely going to offer seasonal, part-time and low-wage jobs. Notice I said "if the park comes to pass." It's a big if. Ham has pushed back the ground-breaking for the park several times, and the project is mired in an ongoing controversy over funding. There's a legitimate question of whether Ham and his gang can even pull off this attraction. Attendance at Ham's Creation Museum has been in decline, leading some people to speculate that the audience for these types of fundamentalist-tinged tourist sites may be limited. A real science museum is able to offer new exhibits and attractions because actual scientists are always making new discoveries and adding to our understanding of human evolution and the development of the universe. At the Creation Museum, there's no room for new research because the Bible is treated as the final word. Thus, displays tend to be static. Just to be clear: Ham and his pals have every right to build and operate the Ark Park on their own time with their own dime. But that's not what they're doing. From the beginning of this enterprise, they have sought to tap the taxpayers' wallets for their fundamentalist theme park. That's not right. The goal of the Ark Encounter is to persuade people that Ham's view of Christianity is true and that they ought to adopt it. The government has no business helping Ham proselytize. Attorneys at Americans United are examining the Kentucky Constitution and the laws of the state to determine if the type of aid being extended to the Ark Park is legal. In the meantime, the state legislature has the power to deny the aid package. Kentucky's Speaker of the House of Representatives, Greg Stumbo (D-Prestonsburg) has already expressed skepticism about the plan. Stumbo called the aid package problematic "because it erects a monument with the help of state money theoretically that is recognized by a majority religion in this country." Here's hoping more lawmakers agree. And let's also hope they come to realize that propping up attractions like this only serves to embarrass the commonwealth. It's also detrimental to Kentucky's bottom line. Companies based in high-tech and science have good jobs to offer. Will they come to Kentucky if that state has a reputation for promoting anti-science views? Kentucky officials should find a real engine for economic growth in Grant County - one that is anchored in actual science would be best.
Good Incentives Gone Awry: Kentucky Officials Are Adamant About Propping Up The 'Ark Park' | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)
Good Incentives Gone Awry: Kentucky Officials Are Adamant About Propping Up The 'Ark Park' | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)
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