America's Biggest Boondoggle Unravels As Trinity River Vision Scandals Grow

October of 2018 was supposed to be the month when what has become America's Biggest Boondoggle celebrated the opening to traffic of three simple little bridges being built over dry land to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island.

Instead October of 2018 seems to be the month when this embarrassment to Fort Worth, which has always been a cloudy vision, has begun to unravel, with that unraveling seeming to be happening faster than anything the Trinity River Vision has managed to do whilst limping along for most of this century.

Citizens possessing common sense have long known this pseudo public works project was going to end in boondoggle mode, due to obviously being mis-managed and ineptly engineered.

Years ago, when J.D Granger breathlessly announced the addition of the Cowtown Wakepark to the Trinity River Vision mix of nonsense how could anyone with any ability to count not realize this wakeboarding enterprise would fail. Only a few people at a time could be pulled around the tiny pond. It could only be open a few months of the year. It was like building a Six Flags Over Texas ride which only a few people per hour could ride.

How much did the Trinity River Vision spend to dig that pond for the Wakepark and that entire tacky eyesore operation? And, ironically, how could these idiots not realize that the Wakepark would be flooded every time the Trinity River went into flood mode. Which happened twice, with extensive damage, before the Cowtown Wakepark died.

The Cowtown Wakepark mini-boondoggle was a harbinger, an indicator, a hint of what the unqualified, incompetent, idiotic directing of TRVA Executive Director J.D. Granger would foist on Fort Worth.

Cowtown Wakepark failed around the time J.D. Granger announced Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube parties on the polluted Trinity River.

And apparently no adult authority in town was able to say no to the nonsense.

I do not remember which of the October Trinity River Vision Surprises came first. Was it the fact that in July TRVA officials knew they had lost federal funding due to not doing a proper economic analysis of the pseudo flood control economic development scheme? Scheming to get flood control funds where there had been no flood for well over a half century due to levees taxpayers had already bought and paid for.

Whilst other actual serious deadly flooding problems in Fort Worth were ignored.

Or was it Another Anonymous Interesting Trinity River Vision Development in which we learned J.D. Granger was going to be marrying his employee with whom he had long philandered whilst married to his first wife. With the nuptials taking place on a Caribbean island, apparently sparing no expense, which is one of the perks one can indulge in when one feeds at the public trough to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars per year.

At some point in October, after we learned of the 2019 Wedding of the Year, we learned. How a split between Rep. Kay Granger and her son changed Panther Island forever. This, to my mind, is the most shocking of the Trinity River Vision October Scandals. Maybe it is time to start calling this ongoing embarrassment TRVGate.

The split between J.D. and his mama was over the Boondoggle's bridges.

From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram article about the J.D.'s split with his mama...

Kay Granger, the longtime Republican congresswoman from Fort Worth, wanted to accept an offer from the Texas Department of Transportation to build the three bridges just like Fort Worth’s West Seventh Street bridge, which features bold, lighted arches. The transportation department pledged to do all the design and construction in-house, get the work done by 2016 and cover any cost overruns beyond the original $72.5 million estimate.

Long ago I asked why the three little bridges were not designed to look like the highly regarded West Seventh Street Bridge. That is one cool looking bridge any town would be happy to have.

But, incompetent, untrained, unqualified J.D. Granger, for reasons unknown, was determined to have the V-pier bridges, which have been being built in slow motion since 2014.

Again from the Star-Telegram...

But J.D. Granger — who as executive director of the Trinity River Vision Authority bears ultimate responsibility for the Panther Island flood control and economic development project — disagreed with the proposal to use the West Seventh Street bridge design. Instead, he wanted to keep the bridges’ original design, which calls for flat-top structures with V-shaped piers — a design that he and others felt would focus more attention on the underside of the bridges, which was important because the bridges would serve to create a river-walk atmosphere along the Trinity River banks.

Yeah, that's what you wanna base a design decision on, what some Frat boy "feels" would focus more attention on something.

So, these bridges could have been completed, and paid for, a couple years ago, with a cool design matching the West Seventh Street bridge. But, J.D. Granger thwarted that and imposed the failed design now slated to possibly be completed by 2021.

And these four damning paragraphs from the Star-Telegram article...

Reached Friday afternoon, J.D. Granger said he and other Trinity River Vision Authority officials initially favored the idea of building the bridges like the West Seventh structure. But he said that after consulting with Army Corps of Engineers officials the group determined the idea could greatly complicate the project and add more years to the construction schedule.

One key factor was that the West Seventh bridge relies upon numerous piers in the water, whereas the V-pier design requires only one section in the water. That’s crucial, he said, because the bypass channel needed to have as few obstructions as possible in the center of the water.

“The bypass channel was modeled specifically to accommodate the bridge models you see on the ground now, and that model took seven years to create,” he said.

Once those complications surfaced, J.D. Granger said, the idea of using the West Seventh design “started falling apart on its own.”

J.D. must be a Trump fan, just making up lies to support the un-supportable.

There are not numerous piers in the water supporting the West Seventh Street bridge.

The V-pier bridge model took seven years to complete? Really? The non-existent bypass channel was modeled to fit under the V-pier bridges?

Using the West Seventh Street bridge model would have added years to the construction schedule? More years than the failed V-pier design?

What has started falling apart on its own is the Trinity River Vision, largely due to having someone like J.D. Granger having any sort of leadership role in making decisions about a project which should have been directed by someone qualified to ramrod such a project.

And now, in the past couple days, the latest of the October of 2018 Trinity River Vision surprises.

Fort Worth Mayor, Betsy Price, has now verbalized her concerns about the management of the Trinity River Vision, asking that an audit of the project be conducted.

It's about time someone of the official sort said enough is enough about that which has become America's Biggest Boondoggle....

UPDATE: Here is a photo of the Trinity River flowing under the West Seventh Street bridge. Do you see any piers in the water? Is a lie such as this enough to finally get J.D. Granger fired from the job for which he is so totally unqualified?

Driving Miss Daisy To Queen Creek Seeing Trump Pork While Looking For Jesus

Today Miss Daisy directed her wheels to be driven east, on Hunt Highway, eventually reaching the eastern fringe of the Phoenix metropolitan area, a town called Queen Creek.

Before we got to the location you see in the first photo, Miss Daisy had her driver drive her to the San Tan Mountain Regional Park.

Leaving that park, after being chased by a dune buggy, Big Ed surprised us by spotting an homage to Jesus on the side of a mountain which hovered over a church called Mountain View Church.

In that first photo we employed the old-fashioned method of taking a selfie, so that would be me reflected in the window, with Miss Daisy's van behind me. The location is called the Pork Shop. And next you will be seeing why I felt compelled to photo document that which I was seeing.

A caricature of Donald J. Trump, with a pig snout, spouting a version of one of his gibberish type sound bites, as in "THE PORK SHOP IS THE BEST PEOPLE".

I almost forgot to mention. Prior to stopping at the Pork Shop we rolled into the Queen Creek Olive Mill. A popular Phoenix area tourist destination. As we pulled into the parking lot it seemed like we were back on the west coast. Two California plated cars next to an Oregon plated car next to a Washington plated car, next to a Beautiful British Columbia plated car.

In the Olive Mill one finds multiple olive based products, and a restaurant from which one can buy edibles to eat inside or outside in the HUGE tree shaded patio.

I was expecting a lot of olives to sample. Instead there was only one olive sample. A huge stuffed green olive which packed a lot of jalapeno type heat. Miss Daisy took one olive bite and then choked out a request for something to drink. All I could see was various flavored olive oil samples. I asked Miss Daisy if Chocolate Olive Oil might relieve the stuffed green olive pain. Indicating a yes, via hand signals, Miss Daisy gulped down the chocolate olive oil.

THAT'S WORSE, Miss Daisy shouted. I took my own chocolate olive oil gulp and I have to say, chocolate olive oil may be the worst thing I have ever tasted. Soon I found us relief via a sun-dried tomato spread. Even so, Miss Daisy was soon requesting a McDonald's so she could get a mocha frappe so as to wash the horrible taste away.

Continuing on...

Above what you are looking at is the road which leads to the San Tan Mountain Regional Park, which would make that San Tan Mountain you see at the end of the road.

Leaving San Tan Mountain was when we found Jesus.

I am no accurate judge of such things. But is this tacky?

A replica of the cross on which Jesus was murdered. Along with a replica of the crypt from which Jesus disappeared, with the big stone crypt cover rolled aside so as to facilitate the exit of Jesus.

I do not know how Big Ed, who is seeing challenged, saw this as I zipped along at high speed. The Lord works in mysterious ways, so I am thinking for some reason He wanted Big Ed to see this and direct us into getting a close up look...

Driving Miss Daisy To Gilbert Arizona Temple With Costco Bumps

Sunday morning, on the way to Santan Village in Gilbert, Miss Daisy directed the driver to drive to the site of the Gilbert Arizona Temple, an edifice erected by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Mormon presence looms large in the Valley of the Sun.

I first saw this particular temple under construction way back in 2012. The finished product is an impressive piece of church architecture.

Wikipedia has a short article about the Gilbert Arizona Temple which elaborates on details about how it came to be at this location and in this shape.

After driving around the temple Miss Daisy directed the driver to drive across the Loop 202 freeway to Costco, which Miss Daisy determined was too busy to stop at. The followup directions directed the driver deeper into Santan Village, which then had Miss Daisy declaring she had never been at this location previously.

Leaving Santan Village Miss Daisy directed the driver to head west on Williams Field Road, which becomes Chandler Boulevard when it enters Chandler, and soon arrives at the heart of Chandler, that being the city center Old Town zone of Chandler.

The driver on his own initiative turned north on Arizona Avenue, heading to another Costco, at which we had shopped two days prior. Soon thereafter Miss Daisy claimed she had never been on this road, that there was no Costcos on this road and that she had no idea where her driver was driving her.

A couple minutes later the driver pulled into the Costco parking lot, which had Miss Daisy claiming she had never been at that Costco, and that she thought the driver was talking about a Costco on the corner.

What corner? the driver asked.

I don't know said Miss Daisy.

Soon we found ourselves inside Costco loading up on Kirkland bottled water, cookies, tomatoes and pizza.

The driver then returned Miss Daisy to her current home base and then returned to his own home base where he is currently typing and counting the days until he is back to relatively peaceful Texas...

Driving Miss Daisy Across Tempe Town Lake On Elmore Pedestrian Bridge

Today Miss Daisy instructed her driver to drive her to Tempe so as to roll across the pedestrian bridge across the Tempe Town Lake.

Tempe Town Lake is a reservoir behind a dam on the Salt River. This is not a reservoir and dam made for electricity or irrigation purposes.

The Tempe Town Lake was designed for recreational purposes, and was the vision of a man named James Elmore who was a Dean at Arizona State University.

Elmore thought such a lake would be a huge boon to the university and to Tempe, which is where ASU is located.

When I first saw the downtown Tempe zone and its lake and lakefront development, back in 2012 I wondered if seeing such was one of the things lamebrains from Fort Worth had seen which they then tried to copy in the embarrassment which is currently coming off the rails, known as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, or America's Biggest Boondoggle.

The parallels between the Rio Salado Project and the failed Trinity River Vision are interesting, including ground breaking ceremonies, fake islands and bridges. Read the Wikipedia Tempe Town Lake article yourself and see how many parallels you can spot, and examples of things Tempe did that Fort Worth did not do, but should have. Such as environmental studies of water quality.

The two town's project may have some similarities in conception, but not in actualization, what with Tempe succeeding and Fort Worth failing.

In Tempe multiple analyses and studies were conducted in order to assure the validity and worth of the Rio Salado Project before construction began, was fully funded, and overseen by qualified adults, not a local congresswoman's inept son. And Tempe dropped the fake islands part of the plan, but managed to build multiple bridges serving multiple purposes. Long bridges, some actually built over water, such as the pedestrian bridge Miss Daisy rolled across today.

Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision is now falling apart because of the failure to do proper analysis of the project. That and bizarre revelations of emails between J.D. Granger and his mother Kay which have given those paying attention their first real clue as to why Fort Worth has been unable to build three simple little bridges over dry land. In four years.

Anyway, continuing with today Driving Miss Daisy fun.

Above you see Big Ed is taking a turn Driving Miss Daisy. At this location we are about midway across the lake. That is downtown Tempe you see in the distance, along with another of the Tempe Town Lake bridges. That one being the bridge the Metro light rail uses to cross the lake.

When Miss Daisy and I drove around Scottsdale and Tempe earlier in the year we were amazed at the number of bikes we saw of the bike share type. Dozens upon dozens of parked bikes at various locations. This time we saw few bikes. Instead it was an astounding number of scooters we saw people scooting about on, including multiple scooters scooting past us, or towards us on the bridge.

Looking closer at the scooters we could see usage was activated by pointing a phone app at a code reader on the scooter's handlebar. Scooting on these devices looks fun. And they move fast. Where are the re-charging stations we wondered? How are the scooters collected and returned to the charging stations? Maybe they are solar powered and require no charging.

Below is video I YouTubed of Driving Miss Daisy Across Tempe Town Lake. It was windy, and so my pithy commentary is impossible to hear most of the time, although the dig at inept Fort Worth came out plenty clear...

Pooling With Miss Daisy's Sun Lakes Gang

Miss Daisy took Big Ed and me on a late afternoon swim yesterday.

The photo documentation is possibly too small to see that to which I am about to refer, but immediately to the right of the palm trees on the left that is Miss Daisy in the shade with Big Ed dripping water after having exited the pool.

Meanwhile I remained lounging on a lounge chair.

On an early morning swim there are usually at most only three or four fellow swimmers.

Until 9 in the morning when a contingent of several dozen Sun Lakes ladies show up for their pool exercise class led by a stern martinet who must have terrified an all girl's school in her non-retired years. The swim exercise martinet comes equipped with a big boom box which she cranks up so loud it drowns out the hits from the 50s and 60s with are always providing background music until the loud martinet arrives.

We quickly exit the pool when that contingent of exercising Sun Lakes ladies shows up.

Yesterday multiple Sun Lakers told Miss Daisy she should get in the pool. One guy named Cliff even demonstrated how to use the device which helps automatically insert the walking challenged into and out of the pool.

Miss Daisy claims someone has purloined all of her swimming suits, hence no chance of going swimming.

Well, it is just about time to head back to yet one more early morning swim before the Sun Lake pool exercise club shows up. Maybe they take Saturday off....

Apache Trail Driving Miss Daisy To Tortilla Flats With Linda Lou & Big Ed

If you have not had yourself a mighty fine time in Arizona driving Miss Daisy's special wheels on the Apache Trail, you are really missing something.

In this particular photo documentation you see the moment Miss Daisy arrived in Tortilla Flats.

A somewhat large crowd of tourists cheered as Miss Daisy rolled into town.

The road to Tortilla Flats has been repaved since I last drove it in 2012. It is so smooth now it is like self motoring on a roller coaster of ups and downs, twists and turns and sharp drop offs.

Some with guard rails.

With ongoing narration from Big Ed, with the multi purpose of distracting Linda Lou from panic attacks and distracting me from being annoyed at the constant demands from Miss Daisy.

Linda Lou has some sort of aversion to mountain type roads which traverse cliffs with other drama inducing features. At one point Big Ed asked Linda Lou if one of her multiple doctor degrees was a PhD in Animated Whinology.

This seemed amusing at the time and still seems slightly amusing the day after the screaming abated.

Soon upon arrival Miss Daisy had us roll her wheels into the Superstition Saloon and Restaurant where Miss Daisy opted not to drink beer whilst sitting on one of the saloon's horse saddle stools whilst pondering the menu.

No, I do not think, for sure, that that is Big Ed and Linda Lou on the right side of the group of horse saddle sitting beer sippers. But it looks as if it may be them.

The walls of the Superstition Saloon are plastered with money, mostly American dollar bills, with occasional  currency from other nations. Above we are looking at Linda Lou, back at the dining room table, looking at a wall of money, and the dead bat dangling overhead.

Above you are looking the result when Linda Lou asked a fellow tourist, I think she was Australian, if she could take time out from enjoying her delicious Prickly Pear Gelatto to take a group photo.

That would be Linda Lou, me and Big Ed in the back, which would make that Miss Daisy hitting the brakes on her wheels.

After this photo was taken Linda Lou led us into the aforementioned gelatto purveyor's location where cold confections were acquired for all but myself.

After multiple inquiries, from multiple Tortilla Flats locals, about how scary the next section of the Apache Trail was in actual fact, the consensus was that, even though the next five miles are now paved, it is still not for the faint of heart with fear of heights.

And so Linda Lou allied with Miss Daisy to forbid any further exploration of the Apache Trail.

So, it was back to civilization, soon arrived at, where surface roads were mostly used for a lengthy torment which included eventually reaching Little Mexico, also known as the little town of Guadalupe, followed a few minutes later by being back at home base in Sun Lakes.

This morning brought an adventurous return of Linda Lou to Sky Harbor Airport. I did not realize the freeways would be so busy at five in the morning.

Or that Miss Daisy would get up before five to call and insist on riding along to the airport.

Have I mentioned I am looking forward to being back in Texas? Words two decades ago no amount of imagination could have conjured imagining what might cause me to utter such a declaration...

Miss Daisy Drives Nervous Linda Lou To South Mountain Summit

Today Miss Daisy directed Linda Lou, Big Ed and me to South Mountain in south Phoenix.

The drive to the summit is adventurous, lots of tight curves and ups and downs.

Miss Linda Lou requested the vehicle be navigated near the center of the road, away from the drop off cliff, whenever possible.

Which was not often.

Miss Daisy estimated it to be about a four mile climb to reach the summit and lookout point that looks out from the north side of South Mountain for a panoramic view of a large part of the Phoenix metro zone.

At the aforementioned summit, at the marker device which points to the landmarks which one can look at, Linda Lou made the acquaintance of Coco, originally from Calgary, Alberta.

That is downtown Phoenix you see over Linda Lou's left shoulder.

Slightly northwest from the marker device Linda Lou photo documented Big Ed conducting an architectural engineering seminar explaining to those willing to listen the fascinating way the rock structure used a compression arch made of stone to support the roof of the structure. The seminar was well attended and Big Ed was pleased to be asked so many probing rock arch questions.

And here you sort of see one of those rock arches, looking out a window at one of the many peaks of South Mountain.

Tomorrow Miss Daisy is directing us north on the Apache Trail to Tortilla Flats where we hope to have lunch...

Trouble Finding Linda Lou In Phoenix With Miss Daisy

Big Ed & Linda Lou

This is guest blogger Linda Lou here, apparently also known as Nurse Canecracker.

I arrived in Phoenix on time, but was out of the airport much sooner than I thought I would be.

I called the person I was expecting to pick me up, Mr. Durango, and learned he had not yet made it to the location where he was to pick up his brother for guidance to the airport.

About a half hour later I heard my name shouted and looked to the source to see Mr. Durango walking towards me. Soon thereafter I saw Big Ed who took over the carrying of my extensive luggage collection.

I was soon saying hello to Miss Daisy and Durango's brother Jake. I had not seen Miss Daisy in years, but had visited brother Jake in August of 2017.

Brother Jake then guided Mr. Durango out of the airport to take the scenic route back to his home location.

A few minutes later I found myself looking at the hiking trail which leads to the top of Camelback Mountain. I do not think I will make this hike.

The oddest thing I saw today was a giant vending machine that dispensed cars. I saw this soon after we left Jake behind.

The car vending machine was seen after we drove all around Old Town Scottsdale. I hope we get to go back and explore around that old town.

Eventually the driver, Mr. Durango, got on a freeway on which we zipped along at high speed. Before I could get any sense of bearings we were in Sun Lakes at Casa Miss Daisy. We dropped off Miss Daisy and then about a mile later I was at my home location for the next three days where I chose to boot Big Ed from his private bedroom and send him to the sofa bed in the TV room....

Driving Miss Daisy To Mesa's Riverview Park For Zip Line Fishing Rope Climbs

Every day, the always wanting to please Miss Daisy asks, multiple times a day, if there is anything you would like to see or do here that you have not yet seen or done?

Usually every time Miss Daisy asks such I answer no.

Miss Daisy has been multiple times asking Big Ed her favorite question. I had warned him this would happen. Big Ed has several answers he repeats in rotation.

Such as I would like to ride the Metro light rail. And that open beer hall in Gilbert looks fun. And Saturday night in downtown Scottsdale.

Miss Daisy rejects Big Ed's suggestions, which then has me asking Miss Daisy why she keeps asking Big Ed if there is anything he wants to see or do if you are gonna say no to everything he wants to see or do?

So, today I told Big Ed to say he has long wanted to see Riverview Park, in Mesa, located by the Chicago Cubs Cactus League version of Wrigley Field on Dobson Road, and then drive the Rio Salado into Tempe.

Today Miss Daisy went along with that which Big Ed asked. Which soon had Big Ed rolling Miss Daisy on her new wheels.

Riverview Park is the most elaborate, over the top kid's playground type park I have ever seen. Zip lines, climbing rope contraptions on steroids, a big water plaza with fountains to get the kids wet, slides built into the side of hills. And other stuff I have forgotten and should have photo documented.

Oh, and a big fishing lake, which is what Big Ed is rolling Miss Daisy across at the top.

The above contraption looked fun. And a bit difficult. I was not able to look long enough to figure it, due to the fact that Miss Daisy insists on needing to keep moving.

Rolling towards the above climbing rope playground attraction I did not see how this could be safe. A closer look showed a thickly padded landing zone should one fall. Still, looks scary.

I want to be in the Phoenix zone when David, Theo and Ruby are here so I can go play at this park with them. Spencer Jack may be getting a bit too old and sophisticated for this type playing.

Leaving Riverview Park we drove Rio Salado til a wreck detoured us, eventually through the heart of downtown Tempe, back to Rio Salado where a left turn onto that road showed a giant Octoberfest in full swing. And so I was not able to park where I wanted to park so as to have Big Ed roll Miss Daisy across the long, impressive pedestrian bridge which crosses Tempe Town Lake.

I see all this incredibly cool development along a manmade waterway and wonder if seeing this type thing is what inspired some Fort Worth lamebrains to deludedly think they could work a similar miracle with the polluted Trinity River and the eyesore industrial wasteland through which that river flows.

Leaving the downtown Tempe zone we ended up in Papago Park with me unable to find the Hole in the Rock parking lot. I did find the Hole in the Rock though.

As we were driving, Spencer Jack and Hank Frank's Grandpa Jake texted me that a batch of pickled asparagus was waiting for me if I wanted to drive by. I texted we were in the neighborhood, and so with some slight directional difficulty we arrived at that destination.

Miss Daisy refused to get out of the car.

Have I mentioned before that Miss Daisy can be a bit difficult? And exhausting....

Another Anonymous Interesting Trinity River Vision Development

Last night an incoming email arrived which caused me to digitally connect from Arizona to the DFW zone to ask a question or two.

The email...

Please do not reveal me as source of this information.

Another "interesting" development at the TRV...

_________

I checked out the information and learned someone is getting married.

Getting married?

 That happens all the time. What is interesting about these particular nuptials?

Well. I think I may have some ideas.

Years ago, soon after bizarre signs began appearing on what is now known as "Panther Island", where there is no island, and never will be an island, with those signs touting "Trinity River Vision Underway", I heard from someone calling herself "Deep Moat" who also did not want her real name revealed.

Deep Moat was upset regarding things she was learning about that which was then known as the Trinity River Vision. Things like all the perks TRV employees were getting, like new iPads and iPhones, a well supplied liquor cabinet in TRV headquarters, company cars. I forget what else, due to the fact that that which has become America's Biggest Boondoggle has been limping along for so many years I have difficulty remembering it all.

But, I do remember the number one thing Deep Moat was upset about was the relationship which had developed between J.D. Granger, married with children, and a Trinity River Vision employee. At the time I did not know the name of the employee with whom Granger was philandering.

Deep Moat preferred to keep that secret, way back then.

I remember one of the things about the relationship between J.D. and his girl friend, which troubled Deep Moat, was that the two had gone on a fact finding junket together, just the two of them, ostensibly on TRV business which somehow necessitated staying over night in an expensive downtown Dallas hotel.

At TRV expense.

Deep Moat also thought all the travel junkets which J.D. was taking with groups of fellow TRV employees, including his girl friend, to various locations, supposedly to check out how those locations managed to manage successful water based developments, was a waste of public funds, which to Deep Moat's thinking were financing a frat boy's dream world.

I doubt any of those junkets ever included going to a city which had created a make believe island which necessitated building bridges over dry land to connect to that imaginary island. There are not many towns in America where the public would tolerate nonsense of that sort.

So, as the years went by, and the Trinity River Vision morphed into America's Biggest Boondoggle, J.D. Granger divorced his wife. And came out in the open with his relationship with his employee.

Shanna Cate.

And now they are getting married.

On an island in Mexico.

The Trinity River Vision was originally touted as a much needed flood control project and economic development scheme.

A flood control project where there has been no flooding for well over a half century. Unlike other areas of Fort Worth, which have flooded repeatedly, with deadly results.

And if that economic development was so vitally needed, why has the project limped along most of this century, under funded, seeking federal handouts?

While TRV employees, such as J.D. Granger are well paid. With J.D. currently making around $200K a year, plus perks and benefits. J.D.'s fiance, Shanna, is also well paid.

The pair has done well, economically, with the TRV economic development scheme.

Had J.D.'s mother, Congresswoman, Kay Granger, not nepotistically gotten this job for her son, for which he had ZERO qualifications, J.D. would likely still be a low level prosecutor, making far less than $200K a year.

And not able to afford an elaborate expensive wedding on an island in Mexico.

Reading the details of J.D. and Shanna's upcoming wedding via the website link anonymously sent it appears that with the contact info anyone can call or email and book one of the rooms J.D.'s wedding team has secured at this Mexican island resort. There is also info about making travel arrangements.

I hazard to guess that among the wedding guests will be the many others who have actually benefited from the Trinity River Vision economic development scheme.

Such as whoever has made a small fortune making copious amounts of ridiculous signage. 

Such as whoever has made a small fortune publishing the copious amounts of ridiculous printed publications.

Such as whoever has made a small fortune making America's Biggest Boondoggle's ridiculous websites.

Such as whoever has made a small fortune spewing the TRV's publicity propaganda.

Such as whoever pockets the money it costs the TRV to occupy the ground floor of the Star-Telegram building.

Such as whoever made a million bucks making that ridiculous homage to an aluminum trash can which sits in the center of the Boondoggle's unfinished roundabout traffic circle eyesore.

Anyway, it does my bitter heart good to see someone benefiting in such a hubris laden way from the failed economic scheme known as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, and that those generous voters voted on May 5 to give the TRV another quarter billion bucks.

Maybe J.D. and Shanna can get another pay raise as a wedding present from the good people of Fort Worth...