The Real Work Begins To Sink Panther Island & J.D. Granger

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Now the Real Work Begins: JD Granger Keeps Panther Island Project Afloat

Catching up with the executive director of the Trinity River Vision Authority.

It is in a publication called Fort Worth Magazine we catch up with J.D. Granger. This article is the most ridiculous piece of embarrassingly inept propaganda yet regarding the debacle which has become America's Biggest Boondoggle.

Let's take a look at this ridiculous puff piece about J.D. Granger and the Boondoggle he is so proud of.

Just the title of this article is absurd. After years of nothing much happening now the real work of floating an imaginary island begins?

Really?

The first two paragraphs after being told we are catching up with the executive director of the Trinity River Vision Authority...

When you’re in charge of one of the biggest projects on one of the biggest landmarks of Fort Worth — the Trinity River — there’s no doubt you’re busy. Couple that with being a dad, a frequent traveler and, not to mention, the son of a U.S. representative.

Such is the life of JD Granger, executive director of the Trinity River Vision Authority (TRVA). Aside from managing flood control and hosting events like Panther Island Ice and Rockin’ the River, one of the biggest things on TRVA’s plate right now is the Panther Island project — an estimated $910 million development that intends to bring housing, restaurants, entertainment and a San Antonio-style riverwalk to the northside of downtown. All in all, the development will span 88 miles down the Trinity.

One of the biggest projects? On one of the biggest landmarks?

The writer of this article thinks J.D. is managing flood control. Wrap your brain around that, if you can. And yet, even though J.D. is so busy managing flood control he finds time to host an ice rink for a few weeks during the winter, along with Rockin' the Polluted River in inner tubes. But, according to this inept writer, the biggest thing on J.D.'s busy plate is the Panther Island project, the cost of which this writer has ballooned to almost a billion bucks. Just for the imaginary island. And this development, you know, the Panther Island project, will span 88 miles down the Trinity.

Wouldn't 88 miles down the Trinity take one way east past Dallas? I had no idea the over reach of America's Biggest Boondoggle had grown so big.

And then this gem of a paragraph...

This year, the nitty-gritty begins. With much of the prep work finishing up, Granger says more vertical construction is set to take place — think breaking ground on a multifamily and the beginnings of the riverwalk.

Nitty gritty must be an engineering term about which I am not familiar. Years ago, back when J.D. and his mother ignited a TNT explosion to celebrate the start of construction of three simple little bridges being built over dry land to connect the Fort Worth mainland to that imaginary island, J.D. told his clueless minions that now we would be seeing vertical construction taking place, thus the minions would finally be seeing some progress of the long blind vision. The prep work is finishing up? Did we not just recently learn that J.D. and his incompetent cohorts were shocked to discover they needed many millions more for infrastructure work on the imaginary island?

So, it would seem some more prep work is needed before that nitty gritty can begin.

The level of idiotic hubris expressed in this article astounds. Before we get to the embarrassing Q and A section there is this paragraph...

Granger handles all that and still finds time to drive his kids to sports activities and go tubing down the river (incognito, might we add). He took some time out of his jam-packed schedule to chat with us on how the vision is coming along and what life is like on the river.

Oh my. Granger handles all that flood control, ice skating and river floating hosting, which, of course, he does incognito, and yet finds time out of his busy schedule to share how his imaginary vision is coming along and what his life on the river is like.

Now, let's get to the aforementioned Q & A...

Q.  What’s your favorite thing to do along the river?

A.  Along? My favorite thing is to be in our river tubing at Sunday Funday at Panther Island Pavilion. I’ll float and chat with people far and near. I hold back telling them what I do. I soak in their thoughts about our river, the event and Fort Worth at-large. They always say, “I never thought about getting in the Trinity River. This is great.” I know I look like a madman smiling ear to ear.

I almost feel like uttering the cliche "I have no words". But, what an idiot Kay's son seems to be. His favorite thing is spending Sunday's floating in the e.coli infested river, chatting with fellow floaters, far and near in the river. Never telling his fellow floaters that the floating is his brilliant idea, whilst he enjoys listening to thoughts waxing poetic about the wonders of getting in the Trinity River and Fort Worth at large. Which renders J.D. to be a smiling madman.

And now the next Q & A...

Q.  How is the Panther Island project coming along?

A.  Killing it. We’re about one-third of the way through the project. We are about to wrap up the phase that provides little reward — clearing the way for vertical construction. Now, the excitement begins. Bridges are well underway. The bypass channel is in final design. The first multifamily project and riverwalk section begins this spring. And, we are working with several more developers on some great projects that would extend the Panther Island River Walk in the near future.

Wait? What? Did J.D. just suffer some sort of Freudian Slip? Asked how the Panther Island project is coming along J.D. accurately admits he is killing it? I think many would agree that hiring someone totally unqualified to oversee such a project would have the likely consequence of eventually killing the project.

J.D. is telling us America's Biggest Boondoggle is about one-third of the way through the project.

Let's see, the Trinity River Vision was foisted on the Fort Worth public back in 2002. That is 16 years ago. With the project, according to its imbecile executive director about one-third complete, that means we have 32 years to go for project completion.

32 years takes us to 2050. Halfway to the next century.

The way this slow motion pseudo public works project has been limping along 2050 seems like an optimistic target.

And now another embarrassing Question and Answer...

Q.  Your mom is Kay Granger. How closely do you follow each other’s career?

A.  We do more than follow. We partnered to complete the delivery of the river project. She committed to coordinating all federal needs. I committed to coordinating all state and local needs. And, we promised each other that neither could leave until everything is on autopilot. But, don’t get me wrong — she is still Mom. She calls me at least twice every weekend for me to come over and “fix” her TV remote, iPad, thermostat, phone ... Please. Please. Take her electronics from her. She is in denial.

Uh. Isn't it pretty much common knowledge J.D. was given this job, for which he had zero qualifications, so as to motivate his mother to secure federal pork barrel dollars? Which she has done, albeit with limited success, hence part of the slow motion project problem. So, according to J.D., the Granger Gang has partnered to coordinate this project, promising each other not to leave until the slow motion project is on autopilot.

With J.D. telling us the project is only one-third complete, how old will his mother be in 2050? Let's see, Kay was born in 1943, which will make her around 107 in 2050, when her son projects this ill begotten project may be completed. Somehow I think there is a good chance Kay (and her son) will be leaving this project, one way or another, well before 2050.

On to the next embarrassing Q & A....

Q.  What else do you talk about?
A.  Our brains multitask at all times, and we are the restless sort. We think it’s normal. However, it can be exhausting to others, especially loved ones. We relax by enjoying a glass of wine, while playing gin rummy, and talking nonstop about our community’s needs and what we could do to help. My kids think our conversations are very boring. My friends say they are stressful. But we love them, and that it is how we relax.

Does the word "delusional" cross anyone else's mind reading this tripe? J.D. and his mom are restless sorts, with brains afire multitasking. Boozing it up whilst playing cards engaging in nonstop talk about what they can do about Fort Worth's many needs.

Oh my, those must be some interesting conversations. The pair has been so successful doing so much for so long to Fort Worth. Fort Worth is so lucky having this pair doing so much for, or to, the town. Do they discuss how embarrassing it is that they exploded TNT years ago to celebrate the start of construction of three simple little bridges, with a four year construction timeline, which are still not built, four years later? Do they talk about how embarrassing it is that they are involved in, and have helped cause, what has become known as America's Biggest Boondoggle?

Are these embarrassing Questions and Answers ever gonna stop...

Q.  What keeps you grounded?
A.  People. I love them. All of them. I eat out almost every meal — in large part because I crave the conversations and input of people outside my circle. From the waitstaff, to the bartender, or the couple sitting next to me, the conversations always challenge me. Listening to others describe where they are from, why they chose their neighborhood, or thoughts on different Fort Worth districts provide wonderful honest input. Those conversations are brain candy.

Oh yes, that has been a concern of many people, wondering what in the world keeps J.D. Granger grounded, what with his busy schedule and all he is accomplishing for the imaginary benefit of Fort Worth. And now we know, it is people who keep J.D. grounded. The little people whose conversations provide his simple little mind with brain candy, due to how challenging the conversations are.

Likely the challenging part is people asking J.D. to explain why there is so little to see after what years ago used to be known as the Trinity River Vision. Or, hey J.D., what's up with those stupid looking bridges that don't seem to be getting built?

Two more Questions and Answers and we are done with them...

Q. When not working, what are you doing?
A. Traveling. Every trip teaches me new things to bring home and affirms why I love Fort Worth.

Q. What should we expect to see from Panther Island in 2018?
A.  Almost full completion of the White Settlement Bridge. Great progress on the Henderson and Main Street bridges. Wrapping up the first phase of Riverside Park and Gateway Park. The groundbreaking of Panther Island’s first multifamily project. The first section of River Walk. And, we hope to announce another mixed-use project that truly captures the vision the community described for Panther Island.

Where in the world is J.D. traveling to from which he brings things home affirmation of why he loves Fort Worth? It can't be modern parts of America to which he is traveling.

According to J.D. in 2018 we may see the almost completion of one of the Boondoggle's bridges which began being constructed four years ago? With some progress on the other two bridges being built in slow motion over dry land?

This is all smoke and mirrors.

And the people of Fort Worth really should be ashamed of themselves for putting up with, and tolerating, this nonsense.

J.D. Granger needs to be fired. Fort Worth needs to grow up and stop doing business via what is known as the Fort Worth Way, where a small oligarchy rules the town, ineptly, and boot out those who have done so much damage for so long, including booting Kay Granger from Congress.

I know it won't happen. There are too many sheep who call Fort Worth home. Too many people who pay too little attention to what they don't think they have any say about.

With the power of the vote apparently an alien concept.

Recently we blogged about Anonymously Wondering If J.D. Granger Is Paid Enough To Direct America's Biggest Boondoggle where we all learned J.D. is currently being paid around $200,000 a year, plus an expense account, plus other perks, to manage what has become, largely due to his incompetent inexperience, America's Biggest Boondoggle.

This needs to stop. The plug needs to be pulled. The damage to Fort Worth needs to stop.

America's Biggest Boondoggle is only going to get worse. The cost is going to continue to go up. The flood diversion channel is not even yet designed, with its cost not yet estimated. There are so many potential pitfalls, including those absurd bridges currently looking like teeter totter seesaws, now referred to locally as the Yeehaw Seesaws.

I just don't get it. From first exposure it has seemed obvious Fort Worth suffers from what amounts to being a civic inferiority complex, for good reason.

Being the location of American's Biggest Boondoggle only exacerbates that civic inferiority complex. Pulling the plug on this Boondoggle would be the first step to Fort Worth growing up and finally becoming a town wearing its Big City Pants.

Or it can continue operating the Fort Worth Way, currently with the help of the Granger Gang...