Kars On Where!!!

By Joe Ingino For those who read my columns on a regular basis, you will note that I am critical of how the City promotes itself. The lack of respect for local small businesses and the level of collusion under which they operate is causing all kinds of events to come and go, and no one really knows about them. Organizers are under the deranged opinion that the handful of patrons who actually attend — excluding the regular half-dozen homeless people, drug addicts and hookers — somehow make events in downtown Oshawa a success. This time, Kars on King rolls into downtown Oshawa on August 21. Kars on King returns to downtown Oshawa on Friday, August 21, transforming King St. and the surrounding area in an attempt to showcase automotive history. This is an event that should attract hundreds of thousands of people. Well, you know the results... Year after year, the same results, and they keep doing it as if expecting change.I blame the City and its organizers for failing to work with the city newspaper, advertising agencies and promoters within the city. NO, instead, the City's attitude appears to be: We know what we are doing, and we do not support local small businesses. Or at least this appears to be the case. How else do you explain the lack of advertising and promotion for the event? PEOPLE, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTING DOES NOT WORK... WAKE UP. Look at the numbers. Four, 10, 100 or even 1,000 people reached — as if they ever reach that many — does not even equate to 1% of the population across the region. So why does the City not use the city newspaper that has been serving the city for over 30 years? Why? Bias? Prejudice toward your only in-print newspaper? Some inclusive city. More like hypocritical and biased.Kars on King is officially hosted and organized by the City of Oshawa in active partnership with key local organizations, including the Canadian Automotive Museum, the Tribute Communities Centre and Oshawa Tourism. Now, you would think that between the City of Oshawa and Oshawa Tourism, one of them would realize that they need to promote all events. Social media posts are not working... Look at the numbers. Kars on King should be a huge revenue generator for the city. A city that very much needs it. You know things are bad in your city when restaurants start closing. Yet, the City seems to be blind to the facts. Both downtown city councillors have proven that they have failed the downtown. Both Rick Kerr and Derek Giberson have failed the downtown.Now Kerr is attempting to be re-elected, and Giberson is running for Mayor. Here is a guy who persecuted downtown businesses using your tax dollars to the tune of up to $100,000. Numbers are yet to be released. A total waste of taxpayers' dollars. And this Giberson wants to be Mayor!!!God help us all. Since when do we reward failure? Then again, we voted in Carter for a second term.My heart aches for Oshawa.Kars on King should be a week-long event. The event should be advertised months ahead of time. The City and/or Oshawa Tourism should have enough marketing savvy to recognize this. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the City staff who put this together have no clue how to promote this event. And yes, I am qualified, with over 30 years of actual hands-on marketing experience. As for Oshawa Tourism... there is a division that needs to be disbanded. A total waste of taxpayers' dollars. I can't say that I have ever received a call from them at their city newspaper. Events come and go, and no one knows about them. Why? Oshawa Tourism has no clue what it is doing.I know that if I were in charge, I would have this department in constant contact with all local media, constantly sending out releases and constantly advertising all upcoming events. No. Instead, once in a while, they will send out an email, normally within weeks of an event. That is not promoting an event.It is as if they do not care. My dealings with these folks left me with the impression that they were only following protocol. The feeling I got was that they did not have a clue what they were doing.Some are overly opinionated, with no real understanding of technology, advertising or media.Could this be the reason why the population at large is so unaware of what is going on? We live in Durham Region. People travel. People are constantly looking for things to do.Why is Oshawa failing? Simple. We have to hire people who know what they are doing. We have to get rid of the corporate bias and prejudice. I am disgusted with how this city is operated. Failure after failure. I do hope that in 2026 we do not vote in any incumbents and instead get a fresh start.