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Forgive folks at the MTA if they say they feel a bit like you, their beleaguered customers. These days, when it comes to money, they just can't win for losing, either.

"There is a dark cloud out there though, and it is something we are going to have to address in 2011," said MTA Chief Financial Officer Robert Foran.

The looming storm? For starters, another $150 million a year the MTA will probably have to kick in to prop up slumping pension funds.

"Now again, that would be phased in, perhaps over time, depending on when the actuaries actually say we need to increase the funding," Foran said.

In any case, the MTA needs to fix its budget now. One way is by getting straphangers to pay more to ride next year. Another is cutting costs. The MTA says it has spent a half billion dollars less this year, including a big drop in overtime. There's also been an uptick in payroll tax revenue.

But for every piece of good financial news there's another shot of bad -- real estate tax money is no better than last year.

"Which was disastrous. So it's important to keep that in mind, that this thing has not bounced at all. Zero," said MTA Vice Chairman Andrew Saul.

The board would like to see a zero when it comes to drops in state funding. But after losing $143 million in promised aid last year, financial staffers told the board Albany has fallen short again.

Come January, $104 may be the new price straphangers will have to get used to when purchasing an unlimited monthly MetroCard.

"A hundred and four dollars is probably as low as we can offer it to the variety of people who would use it," said MTA Board Member Allen Cappelli.

The full MTA board could discuss fares and tolls when it meets Wednesday. But a final vote on the hikes won't come until next week.