Friday, November 2, 2018

Wondering Why Jim Lane Is So Worried About A Trinity River Vision Forensic Audit

Two days ago I saw that which you see here on the front page of the online version of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

A day later the article had disappeared from the front page and it took some looking before I found it again.

The article details a current issue in Fort Worth which one would think would remain front page worthy and also worthy of a continuing series of articles of the investigative journalism sort.

The article is about the latest chapter in the ongoing scandal which has become America's Biggest Boondoggle, also known as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision.

You can read this article by going to Tarrant water district tells Panther Island to consider review of project, that is, unless the Star-Telegram has now totally removed the article.

Recently America's Biggest Boondoggle has seemed to have reached a tipping point where some Fort Worth officials, of the mayor of the town sort, realize something is dire wrong with how the Trinity River Vision is being seen, or not seen, what with the slow motion way the pseudo public works project has dawdled along for most of this century.

Now, let's go through this article from the Star-Telegram and point out a thing or two...

The first paragraph---

Facing questions about the oversight of Panther Island — a $1.16 billion flood control project with development potential that failed to receive federal funding this fiscal year — the Tarrant Regional Water District’s board of directors Tuesday recommended an independent review.

Facing questions? What questions? Why are those questions not detailed? Oversight? Does this mean the questions being asked have to do with the Boondoggle's inept executive directing, which many blame for the Trinity River Vision debacle. With the oversight entity in mind being TRVA Executive Director, J.D. Granger. He being the unqualified to oversee such a project son of Fort Worth Congresswoman, Kay Granger?

A $1.16 billion flood control project with development potential? So, now the Star-Telegram is changing how this project has been described from the start, that being as a "Flood Control and Economic Development Plan".

Flood control? Where there has been no flood for well over a half century, due to levees already in place, which have done the job they were intended to do. Whilst other areas of Fort Worth regularly flood due to extremely incompetent urban planning.

And now the Star-Telegram characterizes the "Economic Development" part of this plan to only being development potential? Apparently the Star-Telegram is starting to realize there is little potential the industrial wasteland at the heart of the imaginary island will ever amount to anything economically viable.

Jim Lane is one of the Tarrant Regional Water District board members. He and fellow board member, Marty Leonard, were the beneficiaries of the inflated vote totals which suspiciously re-elected the pair to the board, in the election fraud which triggered the biggest investigation of such fraud in Texas state history.

Some suspected the TRWD board majority was willing to go to any length needed to keep control of the TRWD board and deny then fellow board member, Mary Kelleher, two allies which could force the board to open the books to the public so as to see where the money has gone and who benefited from that money.

So, it is likely there are a number of reasons Jim Lane was so feisty, as reported in the Tarrant water district tells Panther Island to consider review of project article, about the multiple calls for some sort of forensic audit of the Trinity River Vision project and the management of the Trinity River Vision.

If memory serves correctly Jim Lane has been involved in multiple TRWD/TRVA shenanigans involving financial transactions.

Such as Jim Lane orchestrating the bail out of a friend. Something to do with the failed La Grave ballpark operation. Jim Lane's finagling over this resulted in millions of dollars changing hands somehow resulting in the world's first new drive-in movie theater of the 21st century. Oddly named Coyote rather than Panther Island, which seems to be the preferred label slapped on anything associated with that which has become America's Biggest Boondoggle.

Is Jim Lane worried about what an audit would reveal about multiple shady deals?

Worried about what an audit might reveal about how the TRWD and TRVA abused eminent domain to take property in the area where the Boondoggles's pitiful bridges have been being slowly built for years? With the victims of the eminent domain abuse not made whole, having to fight losing court battles against a corrupt Tarrant County system?

Is Jim Lane worried an audit would reveal how much money has been spent on Boondoggle propaganda, such as the ridiculous quarterly mailers detailing each three months lack of progress?

Or the money spent on all the Boondoggle's ridiculous signage?

Or all the Boondoggle's ridiculous websites?

Or on all the Boondoggle's ridiculous 'entertainment' features, such as the inner tube rockin' the polluted river floats, the subway maintenance shed turned into a beer hall, the ice rink, the embarrassing artwork, or the failed wakeboard park?

None of which has anything to do with flood control.

When will this nutty madness end, inquiring minds would really like to know...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Kay Granger's office bullied a TCU student journalist who was looking into the Boondoggle.

Communications from the TRVA and Kay Granger’s office also show careful attention to public perception and selling the project, from carefully crafted public remarks at events to tactical approaches to addressing the public/media when speaking about the TRVA project.

When a student journalist from Texas Christian University approached TRVA spokesman Matt Oliver for an interview with Kay Granger, he was handed over to Matt Leffingwell, then Kay Granger’s communications person.

Oliver feared the student would write something negative.

After talking with the student, Leffingwell wrote Oliver, “I did some minor bullying and I think he is harmless.”


https://texasmonitor.org/river-agency-knew-for-years-about-the-need-for-an-economic-analysis-of-its-project-and-fought-it/

TexasMonitor.org has 4 articles concerning the Panther Island mess that include info not found at the Star-Telegram.