Credit where credit is due

Part of the fun/frustration of going to lots of public forums is you begin to hear candidates "borrowing" other candidates' ideas and expressions. Most of it isn't intentional. It's just the nature of the business. You're in front of a big group, you're nervous, you want to make a good impression. You can't remember where you heard it, but you agree with it so you talk about it. In the end it's all lost in the noise of election chatter. Yardsigns, websites, push pieces. Most voters won't remember who said what. They'll just remember how you said it and whether they liked you or not. Yesterday I published a position paper on Conventions and Tourism. I want to give credit to 4th at-large candidate Doug Gamble for the inspiration. At the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association candidate forum the other night he brought up the subject of elected officials partnering with the Convention and Tourism Bureau to attract more conventions to Kansas City. It made me think about my own opinions on that subject and reminded me I had started a position paper that contained a "Grow Your Own" convention idea. In the end, I need to say that if not for Doug Gamble's speaking about his ideas on the subject, my draft paper would have probably remained just that. A draft. I'm not endorsing Mr. Gamble. I'm not publicly endorsing anyone in other races. I'm just saying I like his idea about attracting conventions. Credit where credit is due. That's just how I roll.