Rockin' The River 2012 Live On The Trinity River Starts Tonight With Some Questions

CORRECTION: All day long I thought today was Thursday, not Friday. So, the following was written thinking today was yesterday. I hope I did not confuse anyone, causing them to head to downtown Fort Worth tonight to float in a polluted river.

Early this evening the start of Season Two of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Rockin' the River Live on the Trinity Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats arrives.

Unless the recent rains have caused the Trinity River to rise too high for safe floating. That and whenever the Trinity River goes into flood mode an astonishing amount of litter floats on top of the flood.

I don't think it would be a lot of fun to float in the Trinity River with a lot of litter added to the already toxic mix.

Downstream, in Arlington, in River Legacy Park, the sign at the Paddling Trail kayak launch warns that the river is not safe to swim in.

I can't help but wonder what gets added to the Trinity River between Fort Worth and Arlington that makes it safe to get wet in Fort Worth and unsafe to get wet in Arlington.

Elsie Hotpepper had sort of promised me that she would put on her onesie swimwear and go kayaking with me at Rockin' the River today. But, as happens much too often, Elsie Hotpepper has gone missing again. I suspect she may not be in Texas.

Rockin' the River perplexes me for many reasons. I know the Trinity River Vision Authority is not a public agency, and so laws about transparency do not apply.

But, I can not help but wonder how much these Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats cost.

The ad you see above was in last week's dfw.com ink edition. In the ad we learn that admission is free, tube rentals are $5 and beer goes for $2.50 a can. And that, this year, you are forbidden to BYOB.

I know that even though the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Authority is not a government agency it somehow gets tax dollars to spend on their frolicking good times. Like Rockin' the River and booze sodden junkets to other towns.

If the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Authority was a government agency we, the public, could demand to see the books, to see how much is being spent on what.

Like, how much did the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle spend to build the little lake where the private business known as Cowtown Wakepark operates?

How much does the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle spend on leasing cars for its employees?

How much does the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle spend on the well stocked liquor supply at TRVB headquarters?

How much has the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle spent on Dallas hotel rooms, when it is such a short distance to drive to spend the night back home in Fort Worth?

How much is being spent on event insurance for the Rockin' the River floats?

And will J.D. Granger and his mama be floating with the feces, garfish, snakes, turtles, alligators and litter tonight?