The crack news team at Fox 5 has gotten to the root of the MTA’s financial troubles: Chief Lee Sander’s commuting habits.

Watch as "gotcha" guy John Deutzman catches Sander getting a shoe shine (a shoe shine!) at Grand Central after being driven to work in an MTA Police cruiser, then grills the head of the most complex transit system in the United States on how often he rides the train.

Granted, since he is the head of the most complex transit system in the United States, Sander should probably not be caught off guard so easily. Maybe a response explaining the depth of the problem and what it will take to fix it, beyond fare hikes, would be in order — a politically palatable version of: "Look. I don’t think New Yorkers care about my shoe shine. You can be angry with me if you
want. I know that fare hikes are tough to swallow. But if you want to be
outraged, be angry that the Big Three are in the Senate today lobbying for a $25 billion bailout while the MTA and transit systems across the state and the
US are going broke. Be angry that Albany killed congestion pricing. That the city and state stopped paying their fair share to the MTA…," etc.

Still, is this the best the media can do? If so, why not follow Richard Brodsky to work? Or Joan Millman? Or Deborah Glick? Corner one of those guys sitting in traffic and ask them what they plan to do for the transit-riding public now that the service cuts and fare hikes Sander warned of are all but imminent.

Since the craven pols and media clowns are intent on distraction and directing public anger away from where it belongs, maybe MTA improvements in transparency, accounting and messaging are the only means to take these issues away.