Watchdogs everywhere

The Texas Watchdog is sniffing around the Woodshed too.  Wonder what they'll turn up? 

More dirt on the dealings of the Tarrant Regional Water District or the Trinity River Vision Authority? 

Step right up and place your bets.

Taxpayers foot $970K bill for celebrity chef's smokehouse on Trinity River

Love has competed in Iron Chef and Top Chef Masters. The latter was exposed last month as being part of a pay-to-play scheme, extracting fees from cities in exchange for being used as a Top Chef location.

 

Earlier this month, Granger was derided for failing to show up at a forum at which he promised to explain the $900 million Trinity River Vision project.

 

Granger is the son of U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, who has been a supporter of the Trinity River development but has also been subject to nepotism accusations.

 

Read More

WHAT water?

The Trinity River Vision (Distraction) has the Tarrant Regional Water District all tied up in Fort Worth.  Watch a couple of minutes of video from the Trinity River Talk that TRIP held this week. John Basham explains that Region C (that's us) is out of water.  What happens to a city that runs out of water?  What happens if that city is already in debt? What happens to the rest of the county?  WHO's next?

If there ain't no water, there ain't no jobs.

Read More

Class Act

Kudos to TRIP for putting on another stellar event.  In spite of an 'unnamed troublemaker' trying to get their event derailed for the past week, despite the City of Fort Worth backing out and JD Granger being a no show, this group still managed to pull off a very classy, educational evening.  The Society of Professional Journalists asked the citizen's questions and there was no yelling or name calling, unless you count Jim Lane referring to Clyde Picht as colonel.

It was impressive Jim Lane attended when his cohorts backed out.  John Basham shared information on Texas water that all citizens should hear and Steve Hollern was top notch as well.

You can read Durango's review of the TRV Forum here.

Lone Star salutes TRIP, SPJFW and all the 125 plus citizens that attended.  Keep on keeping on!

Read More

Tonight is the Night for some Open Discussion About the Trinity River Vision

Tonight's the night of the Trinity River Vision Open Discussion in Fort Worth's Botanic Gardens Conservatory Lecture Hall.

6:30 pm.

Click for details..........

Read More

Texas running out of water

You can attend a meeting sponsored by Freese and Nichols for $65 or you can attend the TRIP forum Wednesday. In Fort Worth for free.

WHO are Freese and Nichols?  The ones that that designed the Trinity River Vision signature bridges, WHO else.

Wasn't Keffler here last year to support using OUR water for gas drilling?

Water: Regional Resource Summit

October 20, 2011
8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Hyatt Regency DFW, Terminal C

As recently reported in The Texas Tribune, increases in population and our recent drought bring up a very important question for North Texans: Do we have enough water for now and for the future?

The population in Texas is expected to increase 82 percent between the years 2010 and 2060, growing from 25.4 million to 46.3 million people. [...] Annual economic losses from not meeting water supply needs could result in a reduction in income of approximately $11.9 billion annually if current drought conditions approach the drought of record, and as much as $115.7 billion annually by 2060, with over a million lost jobs.

- Draft 2012 Water for Texas, Texas Water Development Board

Be a part of the conversation, as the first North Texas Commission Regional Resource Summit on Water discusses the issues from the legislative, municipal and business perspective. The program will feature a special presentation on Proposition 2 (click here), on the ballot for the November 8, 2011, election.

Speakers include:

• Rep. James L. Keffer, District 60, Chair of the House Committee on Energy Resources
• Representatives from the City of Dallas, Tarrant Regional Water District, North Texas Municipal Water District
• Panel discussion with representatives from: Alcon Laboratories, Freese & Nichols , Texas Instruments
• Heather Harward, H2O4TEXAS Coalition 

Tickets begin at $65 and tables begin at $500.
Sponsorship is available for $2,000 – limited number available.

Organized with Tarrant Regional Water District

Read More

Fort Worth Bailed?

Trinity River Improvement Partnership has put together another event for the citizens.  A group of citizens putting together an event for the citizens.  There's a concept.

Seems TRIP figured out a safe and educational way for THE PEOPLE to be able to ask questions of people on both sides of the Trinity River Vision.  The Society of Professional Journalists will be moderating the forum.  Yes, that says PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS.  We can't wait to meet them!

And now the city Representative who confirmed his attendance will not be meeting with the citizens?  His customers.  Some might even say his employers...

WHY???

WHAT does that say to YOU??

WHERE will you be October 12th? ( 6:30 Botanic Garden Lecture Hall )

WHO broke the news?

Durango, WHO else?

This would seem to be a City of Fort Worth attitude holdover from the repressive, non-communicative, un-open, un-democratic Moncrief crony capitalist regime.

Because, as we all know, participating in an open public forum by Fort Worth City Officials is not the Fort Worth Way.

Read More

Fort Worth Watchdogs

WHO won Durango's Best of for 2011?

TRIP. 

Congratulations river watchers!

Check out Durango's other picks here.

Read More

Best of Fort Worth

The Fort Worth Weekly has released their Best of Edition for 2011.  Pick one up, check it out.

In addition to finding all the best spots in town, you can read about groups and people we've told you about - NCTCA, Clyde Picht, Ann Sutherland and Layla Caraway, just to name a few.

WHO was the politician most likely to sell grandma to the highest bidder?  YOU know WHO.

Oh, and Readers Choice for Locally Made Film - Up a Creek.  Congratulations to Bob Lukeman and TRIP and to all those out there making a difference.   Like the Weekly.

Lone Star salutes you all.

Read More

Rabble Rouser Round Up

We've told you about Teri Hall and Layla Caraway.  The FW weekly gives you an update.  

Water

There are the Oscars and the Emmys and the Grammys and now, down in Glen Rose, the Rellies. That’s what Layla Caraway and Bob Lukemon brought home over Labor Day weekend, from Glen Rose’s Neo-Relix Film Festival. Their documentary, Up a Creek, about the curious uses of flood control money in Tarrant County, won a “Rellie” in the conservation category. The film’s production was sponsored by the Trinity River Improvement Partnership or TRIP, a group with major objections to the Trinity River Vision project.

Not to rest on its laurels, TRIP is holding a session on Wednesday (Sept. 14), at 6:30 p.m. at 2501 Ludelle, just off Beach Street and Lancaster Avenue to talk about Tarrant County water supplies (as we watch area lakes continue to shrink) and about the levels of PCBs in the Trinity, and other topics guaranteed to make you appreciate more than ever the wonders and the work behind a tall glass of cool, clear water.

Read More

You Are Invited

Join the Trinity River Improvement Partnership (TRIP) Wednesday, September 14th @ 6:30 PM @ 2501 Ludelle, Fort Worth.

Get updates on the increased costs of the Trinity River Vision and how it will impact you.  Then, take a look at some alternative plans.

We'll have many guest speakers - -You won't want to miss this one!

Over the past ten years, North Texas has seen record population growth while our water supply levels have consistently fallen.  There seems to be no real plan to solve the problem and as we're beginning to see the dry lake bottoms baking in the sun, it can only get worse.  But this is nothing compared to what we're facing.  Where is the money that can be used to solve this problem - and where should it be going?  John Basham will tell you.

Also - What is TMDL and what's the status of our TMDL?  TMDL is the Total Maximum Daily Load.  Sounds like just another government alphabet soup acronym, but it actually refers to the levels of PCBs in the Trinity River. PCB or Polychlorinated biphenyls, are highly toxic and carcinogenic chemical compounds that river tubers, wake-boarders and others enjoying a dip in the Trinity have been exposed to.  The North Central Texas council of Governments is involved in a study of the maximum allowable levels of PCBs in the Trinity.  Since they hold their "public" meetings during business hours (when most people are at work), we attended for you and will give you the lowdown. Of course, you can ask US tough questions!  Because we like asking tough questions ourselves.

And remember - our water is a non-partisan issue!

Sincerely,

Your Friends at TRIP

P.S. You will find 2501 Ludelle by exiting I-30 at Beach Street and heading south a short distance til you come to Ludelle Street on your right.

Read More

The Weekly tells you where to go

For the Labor Day Weekend. Take a TRIP out to Glen Rose.

Start Watching - from the Fort Worth Weekly

The Glen Rose Neo-Relix Film Festival has chosen Layla Caraway’s Up A Creek as one of the featured documentaries to be shown on Labor Day weekend.

Production of Up A Creek was sponsored by the Trinity River Improvement Partnership, a collection of local folks with varied political backgrounds who think the Trinity River Vision is just an enormously wasteful economic development project masquerading as flood control — and sucking up all the available local flood-control money along the way. (The price tag is now just over $900 million.)

The experiences that led Caraway to produce the film began in the summer of 2007, when weeks of rain and flooding caused her backyard to fall into Big Fossil Creek. In the same storm, a 4-year-old girl drowned when floodwaters ripped her from her mother’s arms.

Caraway wanted to know why the U.S Army Corps of Engineers couldn’t find money for well-documented flood problems along Big Fossil Creek in Haltom City but had hundreds of millions for the downtown Fort Worth project. Local filmmaker and photographer Bob Lukemon helped make the documentary, which will be screened twice during the Glen Rose festival —on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 2 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 4, at noon. For more information go to http://www.savethetrinityriver.org/.

Read More

Congrats to TRIP!

Good example of what THE PEOPLE can do when they come together.  Read the message below from the Trinity River Improvement Partnership. 

Dear Friends of the Trinity River,

TRIP is pleased to announce that our documentary video project, Up A Creek, has been selected by the Neo-Relix Film Festival in Glen Rose, Texas. It will be shown as one of the featured programs at 2:00 Saturday, September 3rd, and at 12:00 Sunday September 4th.

Up A Creek is a story about the real dangers of flooding that exist in the Fort Worth area, and seeks to inform citizens about the misplaced priorities of our elected officials and their plans to spend close to one billion dollars of tax money to benefit the development community.

Our presentation begins with a heartbreaking, true story of flooding, tragedy, and a lack of local governmental foresight and accountability. Local critics of the Trinity River Vision Project then pick up the story and cover a wide-ranging series of topics, from eminent domain abuse to TIF financing districts, legislative manipulation, lack of local media scrutiny, where flood control is actually needed. It addresses the role of the Tarrant Regional Water District and where our local and federal tax dollars are going with this project. The video ends with a call to action, urging voters to educate themselves about the project and help TRIP to offer a more realistic alternative.

TRIP... Our Mission: Support public and civic organizations to achieve maximum balance in preserving property rights, the environment, flood control, and historical considerations, while achieving reasonable development and a clean and adequate water supply.

Please join us. Visit us at www.savethetrinityriver.org

Read More

It worked on YOUR kids

So WHY wouldn't it work on you?

The NCTCOG (yes, the COG that held the TDML meeting last week and the Recreational Use Attainability Study meeting this week) is sponsoring a video contest with TREES and WFAA to solicit YOUR ideas to clean up the Trinity River.

Does that mean those responsible for doing so have no idea of their own?

While we support public participation in matters that concern the public, we ain't buying it.

The commercial for the WFAA Project Green is ironic and amusing.  It opens with pictures of trash in the Trinity River in Fort Worth, as they say "You may have heard about the problem."  Problem?  WHAT problem?  The local paper, city staff and elected officials, the Tarrant Regional Water District and the Trinity River Vision Authority say there's no problem.  If they say anything at all, it's jump on in, suckers.

(Isn't the local paper and WFAA owned by the same folks?)

The commercial for the WFAA Trinity River video contest goes on to say, "Now it's time for this generation to stop pointing fingers..."  Really, that is what they said.  "...to save the Trinity.  We can do it".  Where have we heard "save the Trinity" before?  Oh yes, the Trinity River Improvement Partnership.  www.savethetrinityriver.org. Those that recently made the video, Up a Creek. THE PEOPLE who are trying to save the river and YOUR money.  For YOU and YOUR kids.

If you have an idea, sounds like they need it.  YOU could win $1,500.  $1,500 is nothing, printing had to cost more than that.

Somebody help 'em out already, would ya? 


Due to the WFAA site asking us to disable security to view contest information, we didn't link to it in the above references.

Read More

If your friends jumped off a bridge...

Would you?

With the Trinity River Vision Authority tube the Trinity Happy Hour float kicking off today, we thought it was appropriate to remind you WHY you don't want in the Trinity River.
Next time the Tarrant Regional Water District or the Trinity River Vision Authority tells you to "jump on in" or Tube the Trinity River, remember this...and this...and this.

Don't buy the BS.  YOU can't afford it.

We like the new Tarrant Regional Water District logo.  (Wonder what that rebranding cost YOU?)  Looks a lot like the Trinity River Improvement Partnership logo.  We're sure it's just a coiencidence.

Read More