Immoral Certainty
Page 39
Something had to be done and that was why Rose Dubitsky was sitting across from him at the Jay Street bar and why he’d brought Gallo along, hoping that the young man might appeal to her emotionally. But in body language and tone she obviously didn’t want to be there.
“Need another beer, Micah?” he asked.
“No, I’m good, thanks,” Gallo replied, still not looking at his former mentor.
“Suit yourself,” Monroe said before turning his attention back to Dubitsky. “I hear congratulations are in order . . . you have a book coming out about your life?”
“That’s right, but I’m not here to socialize, Monroe,” Dubitsky said, her voice hard and clipped, which brought out the slight accent of her native Poland.
Monroe smiled, though he personally loathed and feared the woman. He spread his hands. “I was hoping we might reach an accommodation on the assembly bill,” he said.
“The New York Charter School Fairness in Education Act you mean,” Dubitsky said without humor.
“Yeah, that one.”
“Accommodation,” Dubitsky snorted derisively. “You mean you’re going down in flames and trying to save your bacon.”
Monroe’s smile disappeared. “It’s going to be a hard fight either way, and in the meantime a lot of money is being tossed around that would be better off spent on students and teachers’ salaries.”
This time, Dubitsky laughed so hard that tears sprang to her eyes. “Tommy Monroe, that’s a rich one,” she said when she was able to pull herself together. “As if that has ever been your priority.” She leaned across the table and glared. “Public schools in the five boroughs are all but war zones, Monroe. Even metal detectors don’t deter the violence and threats. Teachers and students who want an education are caught in the crossfire, and what have you done about it, except line your pockets with union dues.”
Dubitsky glanced over at Gallo, who blinked twice and looked away. “When I started as a schoolteacher,” she continued, “I was all for the union. Someone needed to stand up for better wages and working conditions. We needed tenure to make sure the politicos weren’t firing teachers or censoring those who didn’t agree with them. But somewhere along the line, the union lost its way. Guys like you took over and created your own little fiefdoms and dropped the ball for the students and the good teachers. Now you can’t get rid of bad teachers, not without a lot of money and time; even if you can get them out of the classroom, they’re put into your ‘rubber rooms,’ where they hang out on the computer and run their own businesses or chat on Facebook, all on the taxpayers’ dime. But just for another good laugh, tell me about this ‘accommodation’ you offer
All semblance of friendliness left Monroe’s face. He sat back in his chair and drained the remaining bourbon left in his glass. He then waved for the waitress to bring him another shot.
“You get the bill withdrawn,” he said, “and we both announce a joint committee to study how the public school system and charter schools can work together towards a mutual goal of providing a good education to all children. We meet and hammer out a compromise we can all live with, and next year, the union won’t oppose the legislation; hell, we might even cosponsor it with you. It would be a win-win all the way around, isn’t that right, Micah.”
At the mention of his name, Gallo picked up his head and looked Dubitsky in the eyes for the first time. “Everybody can’t go to charter schools, Rose,” he said quietly. “If this bill goes through, it will hurt all those kids who attend public schools.”
Looking at her former protégé Dubitsky shook her head. “So keep the status quo, Micah? The system you had to fight and claw your way out of?” She tilted her head and smiled tightly. “So that fat cats like this man you’ve allied yourself with can live the good life while public schools swirl down the drain, taking all those kids with them? We offer a chance for the kids to capture the dream and, yes, hope, Micah, and the possibility of change. I can’t believe I’m hearing this from you of all people.”
Dubitsky turned back to Monroe. “Perhaps if you’d suggested this compromise years ago instead of protecting your little fiefdom and ruining lives and careers along the way, I might have trusted you,” she said. “Even now I’d possibly consider it for the sake of the children if I had any reason to believe that you’d honor your word. But I don’t. You’re a bully and as far as I’m concerned a criminal; now you’re just trying to stall this legislation and hope it goes away. You’ve failed the kids, you’ve failed their parents, and you’ve failed the teachers. I don’t want anything to do with you and your accommodations.”
Monroe scowled, then leaned forward and spoke in a low voice. “I don’t like you and you don’t like me, but I’m sure we can still work this out. And I’m sure I can find a way to sweeten the pot; we’ll call it a—”
“A bribe, Monroe?” Dubitsky finished the sentence. “I expected as much. It’s exactly why there’s a section in the bill calling for an independent audit of the Greater New York School District and the union. We’d like to know where all of that money has been going before we start a new budget process and that probably concerns you more than anything, doesn’t it?”
The waitress arrived with the bourbon and Monroe downed half of it in a single gulp before slamming the glass back down on the table. “I got nothing to hide,” he snarled, then pointed a finger at her face. “But you’re fucking with the wrong guy.”
Dubitsky’s mouth twisted. “It didn’t take long for the wolf to drop the sheepskin disguise,” she said, then sighed. “But I could not give in to your bribes or your threats, Monroe. The guilt I would feel abandoning all those children to the sort of education you and your ilk provide would be too much.” She paused to look at Gallo. “I learned a long time ago that guilt is a cancer that eats at your soul.”
Monroe started to say something back but Dubitsky held up her hand as she stood. “Don’t bother; this conversation’s over.” She smiled at Gallo. “Micah, you will always be welcome to return to us, but I think you need to look inside yourself before it is too late.” With that she turned and walked away without looking back.
Watching her go, Monroe’s face turned beet red with anger. He finished the rest of his drink and waved at the waitress for yet another. He glanced at Micah, who sat staring at his beer. “Don’t let her bother you, kid,” he said. “Fucking Jews are always acting like they are above it all. It’s nice when they get to pick and choose students for their precious little elitist schools, but what about the other million kids?”
Gallo nodded but didn’t say anything. Monroe scowled and picked his cell phone off the table and punched in a speed dial number.
“She’s not going for it,” he said into the receiver. He listened for a moment and turned slightly away from Gallo. “God damn it. We can’t risk this bill passing.” He listened some more. “Yeah, well, both of our asses will be on the line if they ever start looking at the books.”
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