MARTA wants legislators to lift a restriction in state law that requires the agency to spend half of its revenues on capital projects, rather than operations. As a result, Scott said, $65 million in MARTA revenues the agency desperately needs to operate the system sits in reserve accounts.

State legislatures questioned MARTA’s banking deals. Over the last decade, with the encouragement of the federal government, MARTA got involved in complex “lease-back” deals that depended on the health of big insurance companies like AIG. With those companies now decidedly unhealthy, MARTA was at risk of owing nearly $400 million.

Although Marta is in line to receive $60 million dollars in the economic stimulous package and may be up for even more money for high speed rail projects, its current amateur hour behavior may put some of the money in jeopardy.

Marta has got to adjust its rates, cut its cost, and start behaving like a business run by professionals. The state of Georgia needs to expand the mandate of MARTA to serve more than just Fulton and Dekalb Counties; but other counties are not likely to agree to that given the amateur hour that has become known as MARTA.