sound transit started out in scandal. the agency faced a crisis of financial mismanagement and poor planning, and federal officials ordered an audit in 2000 and pulled promised funding. after a series of executives resigned in 2001, joni earl took the helm and is widely credited with saving the agency. largely, this was by being more realistic and being more honest with the public — reportedly she used the slogan "optimism is not our friend." largely due to her efforts, by 2003 sound transit received a clean financial audit, and was re-rewarded the funding lost two years earlier. despite this, the earlier crisis required earl to drop about one-third of the originally promised light rail line.