from The Lebanon Democrat::Nov. 12, 2008
Guest Column By: Derek Dodson

There are many folks who would support a Bible Park in theory.  But that is not the issue before the city of Lebanon.  The issue is the specific details of the Bible Park proposal that has been presented, and the details that have not been presented, but rather either hidden or dodged.  Also there is the significant issue of who the players are behind the park driving it, who remain behind the scenes.

It appears that there are too many folks in this community who know too few of the details and perhaps some folks who may think that supporting the Bible and a Bible Park equates with supporting the proposal before local officials.

I’ll include herein just a snippet of how unchristian-like deception is being used to advance a Christian Bible Park.  There have been no meetings held for the public to be presented the park proposal and to be offered a chance to ask the park promoters difficult questions or to make a case against it or the location selected.

The public has been allowed to attend such meetings of local government bodies and to speak for a very short period.  Having attended most meetings where the park proposal was supposed to be scrutinized and vetted, I can testify that local officials have asked very few difficult questions and this city has been poorly served.  The lack of homework done and the ineffectual conduct by the vast majority of local officials who have thus far voted on this proposal has been outrageous.

There are those folks who object to a Bible Park on religious grounds and there are those who think that the theory of a Bible Park is OK with them.  There have been very few folks who have attended meetings where the Bible Park was a topic and hardly a minister.  There are apparently some folks who don’t know of many of the details that undermine the park proposal that is in play.

At the Nov. 6 council meeting, finally seven people showed up to express their support for a Bible Park in theory.  They, however, failed to address the park proposal in play and had obviously not informed themselves with regard to the proposal.  It appeared that they had taken the offer of Mayor Fox to come out and show their support for the Bible Park.

Five of those folks spoke of their deep Christian convictions and tied their beliefs to the Bible Park.  This was very funny because Mayor Fox has repeatedly tried to make the case that a Bible Park would not be a religious theme park.  I consider Bobby Evans of Joseph’s Storehouse a godsend in this community.  Mr. Evans
Was one of the five that I just mentioned.  Unfortunately, he took it on good faith that everything regarding advancing a Bible Park would be done ethically and competently, and thereby he failed to do any homework about the park proposal and it’s journey.

Mr. Evans also failed to disclose that the park developers have stated that they would financially contribute to his ministry if the park were operational, as reported in a previous press account.  If many facts were known by Mr. Evans, I feel sure that he would be embarrassed and angry that he didn’t do his own homework on the park proposal and that he has been misled.

At the Oct. 21 city council meeting, it was disclosed by the city attorney, Andy Wright, that he and Mayor Fox had gotten legal advice from one of the park developers’ attorneys regarding the constitutionality of using government-backed increment financing/TIF for a religious enterprise.  If TIF is approved, then this city likely faces an expensive and potentially embarrassing legal challenge and protracted legal quagmire.

At the Nov. 6 city council meeting, with the exception of Councilman Alex Buhler, the other five city council members made the decision that it is OK with them if the city of Lebanon is challenged with a lawsuit over the constitutionality of using TIF, and also if Lebanon loses that lawsuit, just so long as the park developers pay for some of it.

Who would pay for having harmed the city of Lebanon’s image?  Ex-Mayor Fox? Or William Farmer who crafted the indemnity contract, with park attorneys, which includes local attorney Jack Lowery?

I don’t begrudge Mr. Lowery for trying to help advance the Bible Park, as he is in business to try to make money by helping folks advance their case.  He is also obviously angling for an asphalt paving contract with the Bible Park for his LoJac enterprise and its employees.  I don’t begrudge him for that either.  I’d just like for the public to be informed about the recent development of Mr. Lowery having joined the park legal team.  And thereby that he is now attempting to use his clout to advance this pie-in-the-sky house of cards proposal.

For those in the community who are unaware, if you were to study all the facts regarding the Bible Park proposal that has been presented, and not presented, and if you exercised a rational and engaged mind, then you’d discover a proposal that no one can successfully defend.  Perhaps that is why the park promoters have tried to avoid serious public scrutiny and have sought to dodge and weave the few tough questions by very few people.