Anytime the T starts divulging its dirty deeds and shady deals, you know the groundwork's being laid for another fare hike.

The recent news that the T is still broke (you're kidding!) and ridership is dropping off (no way!) were followed by sensational revelations of what anyone who has ever waited forty-five minutes for a bus during peak hours on a major route had always suspected: The MBTA was secretly cutting buses from its routes (more than 3,000 trips a month in 2005-2006).

With no leadership from the Patrick administration or legislators on rethinking the T's crippling debt, my guess is the T will start dropping more explicit hints about another fare hike in '09. The only question is whether it'll be thirty-five or forty percent. How does $2.30 for a single subway trip with a charlie card sound? $2.80 with a paper ticket? And bus fare of $1.75 with a card, $2.10 with cash? $79 for a monthly pass.

I'm starting a pool. Get your guesstimates in now.