how to ruin a first class subway system in less than four decades

"The first portion of the Metrorail system opened March 27, 1976, connecting Farragut North to Rhode Island Avenue on the Red Line. The 103 miles (166 km) of the original 83-station system was completed on January 13, 2001, with the opening of Green Line's segment from Anacostia to Branch Avenue."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Metropolitan_Area_Transit_Authority

It's taken less than four decades to ruin Washington DC's first class subway system. 

How? 

• incompetent management
• incompetent board of directors
• interference from politicians
• operation and maintenance (or lack thereof) policies, procedures and practices that result from incompetent management, incompetent oversight and interference from politicians

Potential Federal Policies for Improving WMATA - AAF completely misses the point. 

Fixing METRO requires:

• capable management 
• capable oversight free from politics and politicians

What are the chances of this happening?

• slim and none