MARTA cutting routes and losing money, but executives still spending lavishly.

AJC: In lean times, MARTA still pays for "frills."

From June to November last year, the agency spent $40,475 on a private exercise company, Bodies in Training. During that period, 30 to 47 senior executives got personal training and nutrition advice each week, while fewer than a dozen rank-and-file workers got aerobics instruction.

In September, three months after the MARTA budget promised "aggressive reductions in travel and conference/seminar expenses," the agency sent 39 people to a week long conference in Las Vegas. Six spouses, a guest, an employee's child and 31 employees, including a consultant and nine of MARTA's 14 executive staff members, went on the trip. It cost more than $70,000.

General Manager Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. spent nearly $15,000 on meals and drinks over the past 18 months -- much of it in pricey restaurants, including more than $6,000 in some of Atlanta's swankiest steakhouses: Morton's, Ruth's Chris, Bones and Chops.

A few months after getting the top job at MARTA in 2001, Ford bought at least $23,000 in office furniture, including a $1,069 hand-rubbed, beveled-glass curio cabinet. The agency already had purchased thousands of dollars' worth of furniture four years before. Since becoming MARTA chief, Ford has spent more than $1,170 with Amazon.com ordering management books, such as "The Art of War" and "How to Grow a Backbone: 10 Strategies for Gaining Power and Influence at Work."

And the list goes on and on. Now, not only does MARTA suck, but the are sucking and the executives are spending a ton of taxpayer's money on themselves. Of course this is money they know they are wasting.....er, spending. Just two weeks ago it was revealed that for three years after leaving her MARTA board chairwoman's seat, one former employee ran up over $10,000 in cell phone fees.

Mayor Shirley? Where are you?

We have a split decision!

AJC: Groundhogs and shadows.

Gen. Beauregard Lee, of Lilburn, Georgia, emerged from his house, saw no shadow, and thus forecast an early Spring. Punxsutawney Phil of Pennsylvania did see his shadow, and is calling for a late Spring. Don't you just hate it when modern science has conflicting views.

After this scientific dust up between the two groundhogs, the Cobb County School Board is now proposing a sticker to be added to all school books that discuss this newfangled "groundhog science." The sticker reads: "Groundhog science is only a theory. It is not scientific fact. Maybe Springtime begins just because God wants it to." I hate to see the Cobb County School Board evolving into sticker fiends.

There are rumors that Punxsutawney Phil wasn't looking for his shadow when he emerged this year. It is being reported by some that he stuck his head out of the door, asked who the president was, and upon learning it was still Dubya, he slammed the door and deadbolted it.