A six-State compact sounds like indefinite delay. Nevertheless, it would not be unreasonable for Maryland Democrats to tie their reform to neighboring Pennsylvania, where Republican gerrymandering turns a roughly equal vote into a 13-5 Congressional edge.

In the big leagues, Democratic California uses a non-partisan commission while Republican Texas uses a legislative gerrymander. Gerrymander disarmament should be mutual.

There is no reason in the world that rider fees should be able to pay 35% of the costs of operating a bus line.

The alternative is that taxpayers pick up even more of the costs of mass transit with increasing spiraling costs for lines that are even less profitable. There is no incentive for the MTA to run cost effective lines unless you put some impetus for them to do so.

The odd thing is that when the MTA bought the Baltimore Transit Company, the pitch to taxpayers was that the MTA would be better able to run the transportation service better and more efficiently. The privately owned BTC was getting a subsidy from the City of Baltimore, but the MTA swore and promised that the MTA would eliminate that subsidy and make the MTA profitable. In their entire existence, the MTA has never been close to profitable. Not once.

Eliminating the fare box rules allows the MTA to spend even more money with no return to the taxpayer.