So, we need to talk about Rock Fest, Oscoda

Johnny should have been more question-oriented when the first Rock Fest came to Furtaw Field in 2019. Oh yes he should have. Like many he was just happy Oscoda was getting another big day, with rock music no less. No social media outlet based in Oscoda did more to promote it every week when it came up than the Oscoda City Desk. Eight song Music Series' featuring all the performers. Stories and Twitter promotion were all over. 

Not this year or going forward.

When the Rock Fest moved this year from the perfect location to show off Oscoda having a big day, Furtaw Field to a small patch of land over near Veteran's Memorial Park, which made no logistical or PR sense, Johnny started asking those questions he should have asked before. As it turns out, the ENTIRE gate receipts for Rockfest goes to Vet's Park, guided by a handful of supporters building unneeded memorials to the 1970's and 80's. While the situation of War Dogs was sad, why is Oscoda shortchanging other needs for this? Robert Tasior tries to make a failing case:

“The park honors our veterans,” Tasior said. “All of our proceeds actually go to that park. This year, we’re raising money to build a War Dog Memorial. Even though our base closed in 1993, we still have a 2.5-mile-long runway that’s used for cargo and operations, and our military presence has never gone away. 

First off, Johnny is gonna go ahead and guess that tax money is used to set up and take down and police Rock Fest. Yet, all the money being spent goes to a niche crowd and an even bigger niche memorial. Bothersome. How many people sans a couple days a year does anyone see actually walking through and looking at the monuments? Exactly. The Rock Fest money is not being applied wisely at all. It's being done for the benefit of a few "Military in Oscoda dead-enders" who seem to have forgotten the military left giving Oscoda the middle finger and a town poisoned. Sure, let's build monuments to them. FYI, according to Tasior this war doggy wall monument will run upwards of $100,000 so how many Rock Fests will it take to pay off, again, a niche memorial in a part of town many people don't even travel by? Glad 4 or 5 people have decided all this. 

Let's not promote Oscoda by using Furtaw Field either, Why let people know Oscoda even has such events as they drive by on US-23. Rock Fest money should be being used to save Furtaw Field, not shortchange it. Maybe the money could be used, you know, for the actual betterment of the town. 

It's at best now a public concert to provide private funds for something nobody here voted on or beyond a handful of people can prove anyone wants. So, while Johnny will probably mention the bands playing going forward he's not going to go all in on something with an end goal that makes zero sense in 2022. Not how his blogs or Twitter have ever worked. He's not for sale.

So, Rock Fest this Friday and Saturday, not at Furtaw Field. Woot!