Thanks for the crumbs from your table, Mrs. Dives

So in a move of apparent magnanimity, the MTA announces fare rollbacks for the holiday season. We, the helpless and hamstrung ridership, are supposed to be grateful for this.

What I am asking is this: Ummmmm. Shouldn't the MTA be firing their accountant?

Remember in 2002 when they "found" a budget surplus of something like $800 million -- then raised the fares to $2 anyway? This time they "found" $928 million.

Repeat after me: $928 million.

That's nearly a BILLION dollars of surplus from an agency with a 2004 operating budget of $8 billion.

Now, it seems to me that with surplus numbers like that, there are a few things that the MTA could be doing besides this pissant little giveback. Like:

1) How about some improved service? We got a fare hike in 2002 and saw service go down the toilet almost immediately. How do you explain a 20 minute wait for the 1 train at midday during the week? Or a G train that appears like Brigadoon, once every hundred years?

2) Clean up the damn stations and trains! There is nothing like the smell of urine and garbage first thing in the morning to make a girl's day. And how about that trash bin at the 6th avenue end of the 14th street tunnel? Can you maybe send a guy around to empty it more than once a week? Every blessed Monday morning, there is a mountain of trash surrounding that bin and it is just disgusting.

3) How about a permanent fare rollback? Or are you guy so damn callous that you are sitting in your offices, rubbing your chins and saying, "Heh-heh-heh. FUCK the riders, we can charge whatever we want and they will still pay." Throw us a bone, man.

4) Do you mean to tell me you can't take some of that surplus and put a clerk back into every single token booth?

But, no, I imagine that come the New Year, we'll be seeing fares going to $2.25 or $2.50, even worse service on more lines, and even fewer human beings actually working on the railroad.

Mark my words.

Someone should make this a BLOOMBERG CAMPAIGN ISSUE.