Ugh. Making me sound like a stone-hearted capitalist. 
I know they aren't in it for the money. I was just annoyed at how dogmatic Jack was about this specific situation. Dan may be acting out of the norm, but he spelled out what would happen, and it's happening.
I dispute your claim that it can't be trend-setting. Why shouldn't a parks department consider the design fee a cost along with baskets and pads?
Not true though, what happens if the city decides that they don't want the course, then who will pay these guys for the work?
I am not bitter in anyway if I were, I would have stopped doing this a long time ago. The bottom line though is that nothing is certain in any world, but it does not mean that it will never happen.
A great case in point is Lees Summit, we had meetings with them in 1999 to do design work and create a course gave them outlines, plans etc, with proposals to get paid to do the work and ensure a success, yet it didn't happen, fast forward to 2006 and then they have an idea for a course, with their own design, and feel confident that it will work.....only it didn't, and the location changed, and other issues arose....
I am just saying that there is not any way possible to guarantee that they will be compensated unless Dan agrees to pay them directly.
At this point, there is not a check in hand with regards to the course to pay anyone, and until such time, good meanings and all, there is no money so its a work of love.
You also need to realize that while I may do most of my work for the love of the sport, its because of that love that we have many new courses in the area.
Not only do I design courses and build up the sport, but I also have given more presentations to people about disc golf in the local area than anyone else has over the last decade. So do you pay professional presenters in our sport as well to deliver our message?
Without my ability to get in front of many different groups and people this passion would not have been relayed, and the word of mouth that happens within all politics would not be there. This is a direct reflection even in Smithville, where I know that I met with a group of dedicated business leaders in 2003 and talked with them about it as a guest speaker in a breakfast meeting, this also lead to the course in Parkville.....
I am not complaining about anything, I am trying to put a true reality spin on a project that has not been funded, has not been approved, and has not started......I wonder how many people in our forum are truly aware of how many disc golf projects are sitting in their city's files that are not being moved for one reason or another.....I can count in my head initially of 9 within a 30 mile radius of downtown.....
I try to not talk about things that may come to happen in our discussion groups, I try to talk about what is a reality and happening now.
This project appears to be moving forward and that is great, love the enthusiasm, love the energy, but the realist in me knows that if they approve one course you should count your blessings and lets start with that before you put the horse in front of the cart.....
