The Uppity Dumpties
Sat on the Water Board,
Giving our money away
Along came the voters
And sent the board flyinÂ’
Along with olÂ’ Bryan,
His wallet filled up with our pay
“Don’t be shocked,”
Said the voters —
“Democracy works that way!”
Well, we got hosed again.
The Tarrant Regional Water District board, demonstrating that its Trinity River Vision project really is, as Sly & the Family Stone would say, a “family affair,” has awarded political consultant/power broker Bryan Eppstein a four-year, $720,000 contract to handle public relations for the grandiose plan to turn the Trinity River into a tranquil, park-like setting meandering through downtown Fort Worth.
Official estimates of the cost of the ambitious Trinity Vision run in excess of $435 million, but opponents believe that the project could end up costing at least $700 million. The money is to come from federal, state and local sources.
The water boardÂ’s action follows by two weeks a decision by the Trinity River Vision Authority to hire EppsteinÂ’s company to do similar work for that agency at a cost of $900,000 over five years.
Eppstein now has contracts totaling $1.62 million. The deals will pay his Trinity River Communications Joint Venture $30,000 a month — $15,000 under each contract — for public relations and “community outreach,” among other vaguely defined services.
The water district hired Eppstein even though it has a full-timer, Linda Christie, who serves as director of community and governmental relations. Maybe Christie and Eppstein can car-pool to Austin when they want to lobby the Texas Legislature.
ChristieÂ’s husband, an attorney, also has performed work for the district.
A list of people who work for the board reads like a family tree, but without branches. ItÂ’s straight up-and-down.
The water board likes a close-knit familial group, as seen in its relationship with U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, foremost proponent of the plan, and her son, J.D. Granger. Congresswoman Granger has led the drive to secure federal funding for the project. J.D. Granger is executive director of the Trinity River Vision Authority, which was created by the water board to oversee development of an 800-acre commercial and residential project. Some long-established businesses, particularly on the north side of town, will be uprooted by the plan.
Granger was appointed — without a search — to his $100,000 a-year job by the water district’s general manager, Jim Oliver. Following his boss’ example, Granger chose Eppstein without a formal search, and the authority’s board rubber-stamped the Eppstein contract.
Eppstein won both his contracts without competition.
Eppstein has managed Kay GrangerÂ’s political campaigns for years, dating from her days as a member of the Fort Worth City Council. Eppstein also managed the campaigns of recently elected water board members Jim Lane and Marty Leonard.
Lane and Leonard failed their first test of leadership when they voted with the rest of the board to hire Eppstein. It has been reported that Lane still owes Eppstein $30,000 for running his campaign to join the board.
It’s not just Lane who owes Eppstein, of course. Everyone he has worked to elect “owes” him.
It’s called “payback.” It’s an inside job.
Lane faxed me a copy of a legal opinion issued by the water districtÂ’s lawyers stating that Lane had no conflict of interest in voting for the Eppstein contract. Legally, that appears to be true.
But hereÂ’s my view, as someone who has been in the newspaper business for 40 years, most of them spent closely observing politics and politicians at every level of government: The citizens believe that the votes by Lane and Leonard to hand Eppstein a contract of this magnitude represent a conflict of interest. The votes just look bad. We donÂ’t need an opinion from an attorney to sort out whatÂ’s right and whatÂ’s wrong here.
Meanwhile, the Johnny-come-lately Fort Worth Star-Telegram, an apologist for most matters related to city government, wrote in a Nov. 22 editorial that the vote does not pass the “smell test”
Well, that editorial stinks, too.
The namby-pamby comment was written as if it were a letter from a parent offering guidance to a college freshman.
Be careful, junior, itÂ’s a rough world out there, with many temptations for a country boy in the big city. DonÂ’t overindulge, go to bed early and be sure you get to church on time.
Get serious.
These are elected officials. This is taxpayersÂ’ money being spent by officials who have had business relationships with a vendor.
Eppstein has been quoted as bragging that he won 67 out of 70 races in the last election. He has represented countless city council members, including Mayor Mike Moncrief, not to mention state legislators such as Jane Nelson, Kim Brimer and Charlie Geren.
The water board is counting on those folks to suck up to Eppstein and to haul water for the river project.
And talk about a stream that has jumped its banks!
The water board’s role is not to generate commercial and residential river development. It is to provide water — the state’s most crucial challenge in this decade and beyond — and to oversee flood control for approximately 75 cities in 10 counties.
The water district is responsible for about 15 percent of the cost of the Trinity River Vision project, but is spending almost 100 percent of its time and focus on it.
HereÂ’s a novel idea: You overreaching water bosses should rescind the contracts with Eppstein, regain the public trust and get back to your primary tasks.
If you donÂ’t do those things, you might, like some Uppity Dumpty nursery-rhyme character, get knocked off your perches and come crashing down to earth. The voters put you up there; they can bring you down.
Contact Connor at rconnor@bizpress.net
