Fort Worth has plans that would create a lake and park area out of the Trinity River that runs just north of its downtown area. These plans would not affect the Trinity River areas downstream. However, it would be important to Ft. Worth and would help to re-vitalize the near-Northside area of the city -- an area that badly needs re-vitalization.
But U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Dallas) seems to be doing everything that she can to kill the project in her neighboring city. Johnson heads a water resources sub-committee in the House. When that sub-committee sent the House a water bill last summer, she would not include the Ft. Worth project in the bill (even though she included a similar project planned in Dallas for the Trinity River).
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison put the Ft. Worth project into the bill when it reached the Senate. But Johnson demanded and got the project pulled out of the bill in conference. Her actions are leaving Ft. Worth officials to wonder just what they have done to justify her actions.
Ft. Worth and Dallas are only about 30 miles apart, and together make one very large metropolitan area. In the past, there has been some serious rivalry between the two areas. But in the last few years, the cities have cooperated effectively on several things important to the area, such as the DFW Airport.
That's what makes Rep. Johnson's actions so mysterious to Tarrant County residents. They know she's not opposed to Trinity River re-vitalization -- she approved it for Dallas. It's just the Ft. Worth project that she seems to be against.
Like the Ft. Worth officials and residents, I wonder just why Rep. Johnson is doing this. Do you really hate your neighbor to the west that much? Why are you not in favor of making Ft. Worth a better place for its people?
Just what do you have against Ft. Worth, Rep. Johnson?
Considering that Trinity Uptown will create potential flooding in Eddie Bernice Johnson's portion of the Trinity River and considering that the fancy artists concepts are not what will really be accomplished and considering that there is yet an additional consultant group hired to come up with a plan and revised cost estimate, Eddie Bernice may be the best friend Fort Worth ever had.
ReplyDeleteNothing against Fort Worth...
ReplyDeleteThe project and it's components are the problem.
The project is based upon using flood control to economically boost the Central City and expand downtown development to the North side of the River.
There is no flood control problem in the Central City area. Our late spring and early summer rains were the most since the 1920's. The river levee system handled the water just fine. The flooding occurs in the outlying areas and that is where the control measures are needed. Remember what happened in Haltom City!
Using flood control as cover, the project misused the state legislature, passing a law that gave the Tarrant Regional Water District the power of Eminent Domain for economic development. So, instead of their mission being providing for the future water needs of an 11 county area, they are now also aggressively in the real estate business.
The project uses a bypass channel to close off the downtown river oxbow. This channel was aimed at over 100 business properties. The land is to be taken at a bargain rate and the Water District will then either lease pad sites to developers along the River, or sell the land at a profit.
Almost all of the funding elements were earmarks inserted into legislation on the House side by Congresswoman Granger. Other projects that have been waiting for decades, having properly applied for funding through Congressional committee, waiting their turn for funding. Granger's appropriations were an end run around accepted protocol.
Granger's son was appointed to run the project. The project is rife with political, professional, personal and familial cronyism and nepotism.
The last stated budget was 435 million in 2004 dollars. The project will not update the costs.
Where do you want me to stop? There is more.
You need to question and study these expensive pork projects. If you had, you would see that Congresswoman Johnson has respect for the correct process of public policy as well as concern for justice over property rights and lastly, concern that our tax dollars be spent for the benefit of all, not special interest developers.
This project should be left to the private sector to execute, not Federal taxpayer dollars going to provide glitzy pad sites for well connected business interests.
Thanks for the opportunity to respond on your blog.