It almost entirely explains most of the issues you pointed to. The system has become filthy and unkept because it is a de facto homeless shelter. The safety concerns largely stem from the same issue.

There are maintenance items that could certainly be improved, but at what cost? Are we okay with weekend and overnight service being dramatically cut to allow for cosmetic maintenance? It’s much easier to polish stations when they’re closed every night.

I’m not giving the MTA a full pass, they waste money at an impressive rate, I just think it’s important to put some of these things into context. This is not Copenhagen, the issues faced are very different in many respects.