It's Always Good To Set Realistic Goals

Meet Mortimer L. Downey, 72. Downey and his rockin' beard will reportedly be one of the four new federally-mandated appointees nominated to WMATA's board of directors by the Obama administration.

Metro's new-look board will certainly have a lot to deal with, including an uphill search for a new general manager, potential service cuts and a budget in tatters. But Downey, a consultant who previously served in the Clinton administration and as executive director of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority -- and a Vienna native who has ridden Metro for 20 years -- has fairly modest aspirations as he takes his seat on the board on Thursday: "The federal government would like its employees to arrive at work on time, fundamentally alive."

Well, we can't argue with that.