That should be Fort Worth’s motto. It would apply to flooding as well as their local “news” paper. In the latest Fort Worth flood puff piece, not one word in it about the Trinity River Vision (Or Panther Island or whatever the call the World’s Biggest Boondoggle these days).
Wouldn’t a real reporter ask – Which of the areas in red on the map will the Trinity River Vision save us from? A real reporter would…but we don’t have any allowed to ask those questions here. A real reporter might also ask, if it is going to cost a billion to fix our flooding, and it’s going to cost a billion for development (which in previous examples, exacerbates the flooding) WHY wouldn’t we fix the REAL flooding? Feel free to ask YOUR congresswoman. It is YOUR money after all.
Speaking of YOUR money. They are using it to do yet, ANOTHER study. Are you surprised? No, we didn’t think so. It’s what we do. We spend lots of time and lots of money on “flood” studies. They all say the same thing. If you continue to build and produce more run off, while not fixing any current issues or your aging infrastructure, water rises. Properties will be destroyed and lives will be lost.
Also, wasn’t the Fort Worth flooding price tag at a billion dollars in 2009?
More Water Whoa's
Where were the quotes from the Tarrant Regional Water District? You know, that agency responsible for “flood control”?
The only quote we saw from any TRWD water board member from Mary Kelleher who is running for the water district again this May. Remember her name.
A current TRWD Board Member would love the opportunity to tell y'all just how our taxes are being wasted...
My name is Mary Kelleher and I'm currently on the Board of the TRWD (Tarrant Regional Water District). I'm frequently criticized by my fellow board members (Victor Henderson, Jack Stevens, Jim Lane, and Marty Leonard) for fighting for people like us against wasteful spending by people like them....career politicians and Fort Worth Way Good Ole Boys and Girls. I could really use your help. Here's just an example:
In 2004, the citizens of Fort Worth voted for Proposition 1; the ballot read, “The issuance of public securities for street and storm sewer improvements in the aggregate sum of $232,000,000.” What the people didn’t know was this money was going to be used for the design and construction of the Trinity River Vision.
In 2008, citizens of Fort Worth voted for another Proposition 1. The ballot read, “The issuance of public securities for street improvements in the aggregate sum of $150,000,000.” What the people didn’t know was this money was going to be used for three bridges over the TRV bypass channel. The bridges are to be built over dry land and the water will come later IF federal funding is still available by then.
So....while millions of our tax dollars go to this frivolous economic development project disguised as flood control....parts of our city are truly suffering unprecedented flooding as the city has failed to plan for the spike in development and its effects on our now-inadequate infrastructure.
I will soon be posting more information you really need to know. If we're not already friends on FB, please add me. Thanks.
And if you think Durango has something to say about American’s Biggest Boondoggle being MIA from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Fort Worth Flooding article, you’d be correct –
How About Fixing Real Fort Worth Flood Issues?
The Boondoggle wants to remove those levees and replace them with a flood diversion ditch. However, the inept Boondoggle has been stymied for a long time now by being unable to figure out how to build three simple little bridges over dry land to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island.
Today's Star-Telegram article about flooding issues has nothing to do with the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's inept flood control project. The article is about actual flash flooding which has repeatedly occurred in other areas of Fort Worth.
Many have long opined regarding the ridiculous wastefulness of throwing money away on an un-needed flood control project where there are no floods, while Fort Worth and Tarrant County have actual serious, deadly flash flood issues.
Such as the deadly flash floods which have occurred in Haltom City.
The Haltom City flood issues have largely been ignored, including being ignored by Congresswoman Kay Granger, who surveyed the Haltom City floods, but did nothing.
Kay Granger's efforts have gone into securing federal funds for America's Biggest Boondoggle, where there are no floods, but is a project which was able to give her son, J.D., a job for which he was totally not qualified, for which he has been paid well over $1 million during his reign of incompetence.
There are so many things you can’t afford to miss in this article, we will try and just leave you with a few. That way in a few more years, when this article is chopped up and reran, with the same numbers and the same neighborhoods under water, you can see just how little was ever done.
Fixing Fort Worth flooding issues could top $1 billion, report says
(the Star-Telegram article link may be blocked by their paywall, if so, go incognito)
But, Greg Simmons, manager of the city’s stormwater management program, now says, “What we’ve learned in the time since then, is the $500 million backlog is really a lot bigger” and that the figure only represents the most critical projects. All told, fixing the city’s storm-water problems could top $1 billion, he said.
Looking at fixing the single-worst flooding issue in each of the eight council districts alone adds up to as much as $170 million, Simmons said.
Worst Fort Worth flood areas
Fort Worth could spend up to $170 million to fix the worst flooding issue in each city council district and as much as $1 billion to fix all issues citywide. The city's stormwater utility has mapped where the top flooding issue in each district is located.
Flooding in the Arlington Heights neighborhood, which has gone on for years, has received a good deal of attention recently. In the past few months, several residents addressed council members during the public comment portion of council meetings, showing brief videos and pictures of the streams of rapid waters near homes and down streets. And the damage in their wake.
The residents told the council they have patiently waited their turn for help on the issue.
“We west Arlington Heights property owners believe that we’re perfectly within our rights to expect to have a working underground stormwater infrastructure, even if it is expensive,” said Teri Kramer, who lives on Pershing Avenue. “It’s a terrible precedent to say it’s too expensive. That’s what scares me the most.”
And many other locations in the city have similar problems, but most of the serious problems are in the central city, or within Loop 820, where Simmons said the drainage system is below current standards.
