    Sentence 1: The MTA had argued it needed  to raise fares to close a two-year deficit it  estimated at different times.ranged from  less than’$ 1 billion to $2.86              lion .    Sentence 2: The MTA argued it needed to  raise fares to close a two-year deficit it  estimated ; at different times , to be $ 952  million or $ 2.8 billion ;    