I like Wikipedia. I like Wikipedia a lot.
I have heard the criticism of Wikipedia, along the reasoning line that the info in Wikipedia can not be trusted because anyone can edit the info.
I have edited a Wikipedia article or two. Not correcting anything erroneous, but rather to add info. For instance the Wikipedia article about Quanah Parker missed a few of the monuments to his memory. So, I added them.
Well, tonight, for the first time ever, I came upon a Wikipedia article that is really really bad with its inaccuracies. And needs to be deleted or edited to more accurately reflect the subject.
What is the subject you ask?
The Trinity River Vision.
Known to Wikipedia as the Trinity River Vision Project. Known to others as the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle.
At the start of the article Wikipedia has one of its warning messages telling the reader there are problems with the article, saying it has multiple issues, does not cite any sources, that it does not meet Wikipedia's standards.
Apparently Wikipedia has known this article had a problem since 2009.
Well, Wikipedia, I can make it real clear for you. This article is a propaganda piece obviously written by a Trinity River Vision Boondoggle shill. Or maybe J.D. Granger himself, what with the grammar and spelling errors.
The Wikipedia article makes no mention of the notorious J.D. Granger being given the job of overseeing the Boondoggle because his mommy is Congresswoman Kay Granger and her son's project is one of Kay's pet Earmark Projects. The article makes no mention of the fact that J.D. Granger has absolutely no qualifications for running such a project. Or the fact that Fort Worth apparently does not understand that nepotism has no place in a modern democratic city.
The Wikipedia article makes no mention of the fact that the first completed project of the Vision Boondoggle is the now flood damaged Cowtown Wakeboard Park, which the aforementioned unqualified J.D. Granger touted as the World's Premier Urban Wakeboard venue.
The Wikipedia article makes no mention of the fact that the second completed project of the Vision Boondoggle is a restaurant built for celebrity chef Tim Love in a secret sweetheart deal.
The Wikipedia article makes no mention of the fact that the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle has had a citizen's revolt erupt in the form of the Trinity River Improvement Partnership (TRIP).
The Wikipedia article makes no mention of the amount of eminent domain abuse that is taking place to facilitate the Vision Boondoggle.
The Wikipedia article makes no mention of the fact that this billion dollar public works project was put in play without ever being put to a public vote.
Below is the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Wikipedia propaganda article in its entirety (I have added a comment or two in parentheses in the article)....
Trinity River Vision Project
The Trinity River Vision Project is a master plan for 88 miles (142 km) of the Trinity River (Texas) and its major tributaries in Fort Worth, Texas. The river is a significant part of the history of Fort Worth, and the city's downtown was developed in 1849 as an army outpost along its banks of. (this 'banks of' syntax error is in the article)
More than a decade in the making, the master plan was conceived by volunteers and community leaders, and adopted by the city, county, state and federal officials.[citation needed] (citation hard to find because it is not true) The goal of the master plan is to preserve and enhance the river and its corridors so they remain essential greenways for open space, trails, neighborhood focal points, wildlife and recreation areas.
Central City
Central City is one segment of the Trinity River Vision Master Plan. It focuses on the river as the key to help revitalize an aging area of Fort Worth's central city and open up a portion of the river that currently has limited visibility and access. Central City will provide the link from downtown to the Stockyards and the Cultural District. It will combine recreational opportunities with flood control and environmental enhancements to greatly improve public utilization of the river. This new infrastructure will offer 12 miles (19 km) of active urban waterfront and a 33-acre (130,000 m2) lake just North of downtown, making the entire area attractive for private development and mixed-income housing.
Infrastructure needed for flood control and transportation will restore an aging industrial area once devoted to oil refining, scrap metal yards, electrical and chemical plants. When the bypass channel is completed around 800 acres (3.2 km2) of underutilized land between the Tarrant County Courthouse and Northside Drive will be accessible for private redevelopment opportunities- in essence doubling the size of downtown. An envisioned 10,000 housing units and three million square feet of commercial, retail and educational space will make it possible for Fort Worth residents to live, work, shop, play and learn near the river.
Neighborhood and Recreational Enhancement Plan
The 2003 Trinity River Vision Master Plan was adopted by the Tarrant Regional Water District, Streams & Valleys, Inc., The City of Fort Worth and Tarrant County. Many projects including trail extensions, new trailheads, trail amenitites, (misspelling in article) additional low water dams and pedestrian bridges and private developments oriented to the Trinity Greenbelt have been implemented in the last six years.
The Vision since 1970 (since 1970???) has always been to advocate for this natural resource, bringinig (misspelling in article) back the beauty and recreational value of the Trinity. In recent years, water and environmental quality have become an important focus of the revival of this greenbelt corridor. All of this has been accomplished while maintaining important flood control management.
The TRVA strongly believes that we as a region can no longer take our air, water and overall environmental quality for granted, it is imperative that we keep moving forward now at a faster pace to protect these wonderful greenbelt systems.
Gateway Park
Another component of the Trinity River Vision is Gateway Park. The 1,000-acre (4.0 km2) park will be filled with new recreational amenities such as soccer fields, a softball complex, a water park, disk golf course, equestrian and biking trails just to name a few. (Gateway Park already has most of these amenities) This will make Gateway one of the nation's largest urban-programmed parks. The restoration of the Riverside Oxbow will preserve beautiful, 200-year-old trees and encourage the redevelopment of bottomland hardwood forest. The project will spur economic development around the park and will connect the East and Southeast neighborhoods of Fort Worth to the Trinity River Corridor.
I missed the eminent domain mention in the description, and the billion dollars taken from the taxpayers to fund, as well as destroying the confluence of the Trinity. Maybe someone should update it.
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