Another Detroit Executive Getting Paid For Two Jobs Simultaneously

**Motor City Sam** · January-11-13, 08:18 PM

First it was the bus company executive with the management firm who was doing a radio show and running for office in New York while he was supposedly COO of the Detroit bus system. Now, it's the head of security at the water department, also holding down a second full time job in Flint. Looks like people were focusing on the wrong employees when that report came out about the water department being overstaffed.

The media goes crazy over a water department classification of "horse shoer", but remains mostly silent on this kind of white collar malfeasance.

http://www.freep.com/article/20130111/NEWS06/301110110

**Honky Tonk** · January-11-13, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by Motor City Sam

First it was the bus company executive with the management firm who was doing a radio show and running for office in New York while he was supposedly COO of the Detroit bus system. Now, it's the head of security at the water department, also holding down a second full time job in Flint. Looks like people were focusing on the wrong employees when that report came out about the water department being overstaffed.

The media goes crazy over a water department classification of "horse shoer", but remains mostly silent on this kind of white collar malfeasance.

http://www.freep.com/article/20130111/NEWS06/301110110

I think this would have had more impact had it been found the guy was a total screw-up. As it turns out, all parties interviewed find his work "exemplary". As opposed to a guy waiting around 24/7 for a horse to be brought in to shoe.

**Zacha341** · January-11-13, 10:25 PM

^^^ Hah! Horse shoeing!

**Motor City Sam** · January-12-13, 12:53 AM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

I think this would have had more impact had it been found the guy was a total screw-up. As it turns out, all parties interviewed find his work "exemplary". As opposed to a guy waiting around 24/7 for a horse to be brought in to shoe.

Funny, but I know you are aware no one is actually waiting around to shoe horses at the water department.

The parties interviewed are finding his work "exemplary" because it's better for them to do that than admit they were paying a guy a full time salary when he was working someplace else and maybe not getting a full week's work out of him.

**Honky Tonk** · January-12-13, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by Motor City Sam

Funny, but I know you are aware no one is actually waiting around to shoe horses at the water department.

The parties interviewed are finding his work "exemplary" because it's better for them to do that than admit they were paying a guy a full time salary when he was working someplace else and maybe not getting a full week's work out of him.

Yes, it was meant as humor. And you ARE right, though, there is a certain amount of damage control and "face saving" that is done when these situations come to light. Having worked for the DWSD, in a menial position that exposed me to all aspects of the operation, I can assure you, from my perspective, that the independent report was not too far off the mark as far as performance and accountability issues there.

**mjb3** · January-12-13, 04:45 PM

you have to commit a felony on the job to get fired if you are govt or union employee. everything else that would be firable offense in private sector is acceptable

**detmsp** · January-12-13, 05:32 PM

Originally Posted by Motor City Sam

The media goes crazy over a water department classification of "horse shoer", but remains mostly silent on this kind of white collar malfeasance.

http://www.freep.com/article/20130111/NEWS06/301110110

agreed! when is the free press going to pick up on this story!? oh wait...

**Motor City Sam** · January-12-13, 08:44 PM

Originally Posted by detmsp

agreed! when is the free press going to pick up on this story!? oh wait...

Yes, the Free Press is on this. They broke it. I have seen no follow up by the News. The Detroit bus COO story broke in the Detroit News and not even the News followed up on that. The Free Press ignored it. Compare that to the massive coverage given to the story of a horse shoer job classification at the water department.

**Motor City Sam** · January-12-13, 08:47 PM

Originally Posted by mjb3

you have to commit a felony on the job to get fired if you are govt or union employee. everything else that would be firable offense in private sector is acceptable

I must have missed where the HSBC executives got fired for laundering drug money for Mexican drug cartels and advising Iranians on how to circumvent US banking laws.

**detmsp** · January-12-13, 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by Motor City Sam

Yes, the Free Press is on this. They broke it. I have seen no follow up by the News. The Detroit bus COO story broke in the Detroit News and not even the News followed up on that. The Free Press ignored it. Compare that to the massive coverage given to the story of a horse shoer job classification at the water department.

It was in the Detroit News 2 days ago. And mlive. And the Macomb Daily. And the Flint Journal. And Michigan Public Radio. And AnnArbor.com. And the Daily Mail. And the San Francisco Chronicle. But you know what, I don't think it was in the Birmingham Eccentric. They totally ignored it.

https://www.google.com/news?ncl=dqet...=English&hl=en

**Motor City Sam** · January-12-13, 09:23 PM

Originally Posted by detmsp

It was in the Detroit News 2 days ago. And mlive. And the Macomb Daily. And the Flint Journal. And Michigan Public Radio. And AnnArbor.com. And the Daily Mail. And the San Francisco Chronicle. But you know what, I don't think it was in the Birmingham Eccentric. They totally ignored it.

https://www.google.com/news?ncl=dqet...=English&hl=en

I stand corrected. I didn't see the story in the Detroit News yesterday.

I will say that the horse shoer story went on for days, with follow up stories and editorials, while the COO bus executive story barely was in the news for a day. We'll see what kind of legs this latest story has.