Union Demands Detroit Water Dept. Keep Horseshoer

[pspr]

This story is incredible. No wonder Detroit is the poster city of American blight.

Despite having no horses, the water and sewerage department for the city of Detroit employs a horseshoer.

Yet even with a department so bloated that it has a horseshoer and no horses, the local union president said it is "not possible" to eliminate positions.

Union rules have turned the department into a government jobs program, some critics say.

The horseshoer’s job description is "to shoe horses and to do general blacksmith work … and to perform related work as required." The description was last updated in 1967.

The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) has a large debt, rising water prices and inefficient services — using almost twice the number of employees per gallon as other cities like Chicago.

http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/17404

 

[AAAintheBeltway]

You know it's bad when Chicago is held up as an example of efficient delivery of municipal sevices.

 

[ChkitOut]

so the next logical question is, who's at fault?

the unions? no, they just do whats best for them.

elected officials who cater to unions? not really, they are just a representation of what the people vote for and want

the citizens of this country? yes.

so to wrap up, this is the country you live in, get over it, use your 1 vote how you wish, and thats really it.

 

[jem]

i notice a lot of lefties blame the citizens when its clearly the lefts crooked politicians are to blame. I particularly love to read about CA.... the left has been in control for a while and they spent off the deep end. Then we see lefists blaming the people or even saying CA is ungovernable.

Reality is that spending you ass off to get public and private union votes... eventually destroys your system.

For instance we on the right keep electing people who pretend they are fiscally conservative and then they get corrupted by the establishment and spend and "compromise".

a major part of the problem is lobby and campaign "contributions" which are really bribes.

The politicians and can trade in their votes for cash...and enough cash they can get re elected going negative.

 

[pspr]

Quote from jem:

i notice a lot of lefties blame the citizens when its clearly the lefts crooked politicians are to blame. I particularly love to read about CA.... the left has been in control for a while and they spent off the deep end. Then we see lefists blaming the people or even saying CA is ungovernable.

Reality is that spending you ass off to get public and private union votes... eventually destroys your system.

For instance we on the right keep electing people who pretend they are fiscally conservative and then they get corrupted by the establishment and spend and "compromise".

a major part of the problem is lobby and campaign "contributions" which are really bribes.

The politicians and can trade in their votes for cash...and enough cash they can get re elected going negative.

You are right. We need some major campaign reform. But since those who benefit from the current system are the ones who write the rules there isn't much hope of change. Just like trying to get Congress to put term limits on themselves. Our elected officials aren't patriotic enough to do what is right if they see it as acting to their personal detriment.

 

[denner]

Quote from jem:

i notice a lot of lefties blame the citizens when its clearly the lefts crooked politicians are to blame. I particularly love to read about CA.... the left has been in control for a while and they spent off the deep end. Then we see lefists blaming the people or even saying CA is ungovernable.

Reality is that spending you ass off to get public and private union votes... eventually destroys your system.

For instance we on the right keep electing people who pretend they are fiscally conservative and then they get corrupted by the establishment and spend and "compromise".

a major part of the problem is lobby and campaign "contributions" which are really bribes.

The politicians and can trade in their votes for cash...and enough cash they can get re elected going negative.

Good summary. Whenever I read the comments sections in various online articles about union demands or teacher's threats to strike, I find that the Pro-Union folk (normally union members posting online) will attempt to bring Wall Street pay into the argument. Basically, they will use the most glaring example of cronyism to justify their absurd demands.

Never, not once have I heard one of these brainwashed Pro-Union lackey's talk about the obscene burden they put upon taxpayers who are on the hook for their salaries, pensions, health care for life. Essentially, we have a few "protected rackets" that play off of each other in the political process. Those outside of these rackets pay the costs via a creeping inflation that somehow eludes capture in the "statistics".

 

[denner]

Quote from pspr:

You are right. We need some major campaign reform. But since those who benefit from the current system are the ones who write the rules there isn't much hope of change. Just like trying to get Congress to put term limits on themselves. Our elected officials aren't patriotic enough to do what is right if they see it as acting to their personal detriment.

Agree, the numbers are daunting. Recently, more attention is being paid to the so-called "50/50" split amongst those putting money into the system vs those draining money from the system. When you place the public sector jobs/bennies into the second "50", it becomes an even greater obstacle.

With the overall downward trajectory of the economy, it's created a greater need for a lowered cost of living; instead, the Pro-Union states go deeper in the red since there are so few options to "cut headcount" in the public sector. Instead, we continue with this stagflationary economy that hits the taxpayer over the head with increased property taxes, food costs, gasoline costs, tuition costs, etc, etc...Even when demand falls off the cliff, prices rise...that should tell us quite a bit about how broken our economy has become.

 

[377OHMS]

A "horseshoer" was called a "farrier" when I was a kid and we raised arabian horses.

I wonder what the DWD farrier does all day? Great gig if you can get it.

 

[pspr]

Quote from 377OHMS:

A "horseshoer" was called a "farrier" when I was a kid and we raised arabian horses.

I wonder what the DWD farrier does all day? Great gig if you can get it.

Wow! When I was a kid I wanted a horse really bad for years. Never got one. It sounds like you must have lived my fantasy childhood.

 

[peilthetraveler]

The city pays $29,245 in salary and about $27,000 in benefits for the horseshoer position.