Sunday, September 27, 2015

Trinity River Vision Fall 2015 Update Propaganda

I found this in my mailbox this morning. The FALL 2015 TRINITY RIVER VISION UPDATE.

I think every quarter I blog about getting these quarterly UPDATES from The Boondoggle.

How much does The Boondoggle spend on these slick, full color, multi-page propaganda pieces?

Much of the propaganda is regurgitated from previous UPDATES. Items such as "The Trinity River Vision will enhance the river corridor with over 90 user-requested projects along the Trinity Trails."

I've asked before, who are these users who made these requests? And how were the requests made? Anyone know?

The Boondoggle's propaganda is still referring to the three bridges it is building in slow motion as being signature bridges.

The UPDATE had very little to actually update about due to the slow motion nature of this public works project that public has never voted for.

So, with little actually accomplished since the last UPDATE, two pages are devoted to the roundabout that is under construction and the odd piece of artwork in the center of that roundabout, which has already been installed, with the propaganda claiming this "NEW ART IS TURNING HEADS ON PANTHER ISLAND."

More accurately it might be said heads are shaking in bum puzzlement at the sticks of bent metal rising inexplicably in the center of a construction mess. I know that was my reaction when I saw it a month or so ago.

There is no mention made in the UPDATE as to when this vitally needed flood control  and economic development project is scheduled to be completed.

Oh, and the UPDATE, as expected, devotes a lot of space to all the concerts, runs, festivals, inner tube floats and beer parties which take place at Panther Island Pavilion, where there is no island or pavilion.

Mention is also made of the ice skating rink which will show up in a couple months for a few weeks at The Boondoggle's drive-in movie theater.

Now, you living in parts of America where there are public works projects underway, do you get quarterly updates full of puffery and propaganda about those projects?

Does the Los Angeles River Vision Project send out quarterly updates? That project is a few billion dollars bigger than Fort Worth's little project. And has already reaped an economic bonanza for downtown Los Angeles.

The Seattle area has several big public works projects underway. Link light rail extensions, the world's biggest tunnel, currently stalled awaiting the reassembly of the Bertha boring machine, tunneling under downtown Seattle, along with the rebuilding of the Seattle Waterfront, plus a new floating bridge, which will soon open to traffic. Each of these projects cost billions of dollars more than Fort Worth's little project.

And each of these projects have project timelines, with the Bertha woes pushing back the day the new tunnel opens to traffic.

Does the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel project, costing around $4 billion, mail out quarterly updates? Does the 520 Floating Bridge replacement project, also costing around $4 billion, mail out quarterly updates? Do the Link Light Rail projects, also costing billions, mail out quarterly updates?

I suspect not. I think the public would not appreciate seeing their money spent on foolish propaganda of the sort the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle mails out quarterly. Why does the Fort Worth public put up with this nonsense?

Very perplexing....

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