For Want Of A Nail

You've probably come across "For Want of a Nail" at some point in your life:

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.

For want of a shoe the horse was lost.

For want of a horse the rider was lost.

For want of a rider the message was lost.

For want of a message the battle was lost.

For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.

And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

In this case, while the Kingdom of Detroit may be lost, at least the poor horseshoer [1]  still has a job, thanks to the union!  Via Overlawyered:

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.

Unless they can convince me that the Seven Courts have inexplicably decided to pack their bags and move to Michigan, I'm not quite ready to accept the idea that the DWSD has a standing need for a farrier...

[1] Yes, the proper term is "farrier", as noted in the first common on the article.  However, the use of "horseshoer" is accurate, as that is apparently what the position is actually named.