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For some reason, the city of Detroit still employs a horseshoer
MSNBC ^ | August 21, 2012 | Unkown

Posted on 08/21/2012 7:21:36 AM PDT by Past Your Eyes

Here's a riddle for you: What do you call a horseshoer that doesn't shoe any horses? An employee of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. No, you're not supposed to laugh, but the perpetually cash-strapped city somehow still employs a horseshoer, even though the department does not own horses, nor does the former employee of the Police Department work with any of the city's four-legged equines. The horseshoer's position was revealed as part of an independent report that concluded that the DWSD could "trim more than 80% of its workforce," a suggestion that union leaders say isn't possible. In case you were wondering, the horseshoer's annual salary for doing nothing is $29,245. Maybe that's why horseshoes are lucky.

(Excerpt) Read more at now.msn.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: detroit; governmentunions; governmentworkers; horseshoer; union; waste
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To: Past Your Eyes

My local precinct captain in Chicago had an official job of “ bridge tender” for a bridge that had its motors removed in 1941 as part of the war effort.


21 posted on 08/21/2012 8:15:51 AM PDT by Kozak (The means of defence against foreign danger, have been always the instruments of tyranny at home JM)
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To: netmilsmom

He dosnt work for the Police dept. He works for the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. From the article:
“...even though the department does not own horses, nor does the former employee of the Police Department work with any of the city’s four-legged equines”.


22 posted on 08/21/2012 8:20:42 AM PDT by Gettin Betta
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To: Vigilanteman

“And they produce an ample supply of biscuits for the rest of us to clean up.”

“Biscuits?” I thought they were called “Road Apples.”


23 posted on 08/21/2012 8:21:50 AM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ( Ya can't pick up a turd by the clean end!)
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To: Gettin Betta
“...even though the department does not own horses, nor does the former employee of the Police Department work with any of the city’s four-legged equines”.

No doubt, as opposed to the three or five legged varieties.

24 posted on 08/21/2012 8:26:06 AM PDT by going hot (Happiness is a momma deuce)
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To: Calvin Locke
I was talking about this, which was the original source for the MCC article. http://www.freep.com/article/20120809/NEWS05/308090260/Detroit-water-department-cut-81-workers-under-new-proposal

All job descriptions would be rewritten to be much broader than current ones to allow more flexibility. Brian Hurding, vice president of EMA, the firm that did the study, said the department had 257 job classifications, including "horseshoer." "We didn't find any horses," Hurding said. "That's the strangest job classification I've ever seen." He noted later that the person in the job also was classified as a welder, which was his main job. Under the reorganization plan, the number of job classifications would fall to 31.

25 posted on 08/21/2012 8:37:54 AM PDT by JerseyanExile
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To: Past Your Eyes

Don’t know if it’s still the case, but the railway worker’s union contract required trains to have a “fireman” on the crew long after they had all converted to diesel-electric locomotives.


26 posted on 08/21/2012 8:39:58 AM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: Calvin Locke

I heard this morning that they have not had horses since 67.
If he got the job in 66 and was 18 years old, that would make him 63 years old. I would bet the original dude retired long ago and they actually hired a new guy for the position even when they no longer had horses.


27 posted on 08/21/2012 8:40:31 AM PDT by Gadsden1st
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To: Past Your Eyes; TigersEye; Fred Nerks

horseshoer??????????????

There is no such thing. The proper word in the English language is “farrier”

http://www.oldscollege.ca/programs/Farrier/index.htm

Every town that has horses in it needs one.


28 posted on 08/21/2012 8:47:21 AM PDT by Candor7 (Obama fascism article: http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html)
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To: GreyFriar
FWIW, even back in the 1960’s, the U.S. Army had a cavalry unit in Kansas. My father was a veterinarian in the reserves, even though he was Navy, from World War II. I don't remember which town in Kansas (I was a little kid) but he had to drive there on a regular basis to check the horses.

If I'm not mistaken, the same base trained some of our special forces in Afghanistan. So our military still uses horses for tasks other than just ceremonial funerals. There was a story on this unit who went into Afghanistan and the guys were absolutely awesome with their horsemanship.

29 posted on 08/21/2012 8:56:22 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: Candor7

With 0bama messing around with the auto companies (and the economy in general) every town is going to need several of them.


30 posted on 08/21/2012 8:59:20 AM PDT by TigersEye (dishonorabledisclosure.com - OPSEC (give them support))
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To: ßuddaßudd

A horsehoer? LOL
I thought they were called a farrier.

Actually the correct term would be Equine Podiatrist.


31 posted on 08/21/2012 9:04:43 AM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: Past Your Eyes

Someone should be horsewhipped over this.


32 posted on 08/21/2012 9:11:36 AM PDT by History Repeats (Drink plenty of TEA, but avoid the Koolaid.)
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To: ßuddaßudd
Maybe he's a ho-shoer.
Can't be havin' dem ho's runnin' round in dey bare feets, ya know. Make da place look bad.
33 posted on 08/21/2012 9:23:25 AM PDT by uglybiker (nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-BATMAN!)
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To: Vigilanteman

The Soviet Army used cavalry on the Eastern Front during world war two, and on occasion had great success in wreaking havoc behind enemy lines when conditions and fuel shortages made motorised transport difficult.


34 posted on 08/21/2012 9:23:33 AM PDT by sinsofsolarempirefan
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To: Past Your Eyes

If there was real journalism, the media would be all over this with in your face interviews of the said “horse shoer”, his boss and the mayor until this mess was resolved. It would be interesting to check in which union this guy has membership and whether “horse shoers” are allowed to join. My bet is a year from now the “horse shoer” will still be getting his check for doing nothing and Detroit will be going bankrupt.


35 posted on 08/21/2012 9:32:02 AM PDT by The Great RJ
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To: Candor7

I think we all know that. If not before, there’s no excuse now. I didn’t write the headline so take up your grievance with MessNBC. It’s beside the point anyway.
Believe me, I knew what a farrier was long before a bunch of you jumped on it.


36 posted on 08/21/2012 9:35:06 AM PDT by Past Your Eyes (What if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today.)
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To: Vigilanteman

Culver Military Academy, Black Horse Troop 1974. I was a 14 year old kid who didn’t know which end of the horse to feed and which end made the poop when I got there. Eight weeks later I was on the drill team, running steeplechase and riding bareback. Mostly taught by 16 year old kids. 150 high school kids, whose “adult supervision” consisted of three college students doing their summer jobs, and a former Army officer who was about 30 years old.


37 posted on 08/21/2012 10:00:47 AM PDT by henkster (We're the slaves of the phony leaders...)
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To: Past Your Eyes

Believe me, I knew what a farrier was long before a bunch of you jumped on it.>>>>>>>>>

Thats OK, “horseshoer” is just fine, LOL.

**************************************************

I once knew a female horse shoer,
and PAST YOUR EYES loved to _______________.

Once she said farrier,
he continued to harrie her
And now he’s boffing a brewer.

( Fill in the blank bucko, LOL.)

**************************************************


38 posted on 08/21/2012 11:55:18 AM PDT by Candor7 (Obama fascism article: http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html)
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To: TigersEye

With 0bama messing around with the auto companies (and the economy in general) every town is going to need several of them.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Thats a real cogent point, and one which is so true as we watch the gas prices going up over 5 bucks and higher, and consequentially Americans lose their freedom of movement and freedom of assembly. Divide and Conquer.

You bet I ‘d take that horse any day instead of a piece Obama Union Detroit Iron, a whole herd. And my trusty pistol and CAR 15 too. Farriers are terrific.


39 posted on 08/21/2012 12:08:14 PM PDT by Candor7 (Obama fascism article: http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html)
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To: henkster
You have a very good aptitude for horses. The average kid will not achieve that level of proficiency in eight months, let alone eight weeks.

My father was one generation away from the Reservation. He had that kind of aptitude. I did not learn to ever do more than the basics.

40 posted on 08/21/2012 1:38:36 PM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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