My buddy, Suze, and I have had heated debates about the Rubber Room. The Rubber Room is where 615 New York City teachers are warehoused. They have been removed from the classroom because of misconduct, but the union stipulations require that they receive full pay until they can receive a hearing. Several years might elapse before they receive a hearing. And even they are convicted, they still receive a pension until they die; 1/2 of their final year's pay.

New Yorker article on the Rubber Room is pretty devastating. One woman was put in the Rubber Room, because she passed out drunk in the classroom with 34 kids present and couldn't be revived. The union defended her. Randy Weingarten comes out looking like a jerk.

The debate that Suze and I usually have around the Rubber Room goes as follows. I say, "what a waste of money! Get rid of these drunks and pedophiles. Why is money going to these pieces of human garbage rather than to the poor kids. The union is all about protecting teachers and not about the kids."

She says, " the poor teachers might have unfairly fired by principals. They deserve a hearing. It's not their fault that the system can't provide them with a speedy hearing."

And then I say, "that's life. I've dealt with unfair situations before, and nobody looked after me. That's the real world, sister." [Creative license to make me sound grumpier than usual.]