The Times of Middle Country - February 9, 2023

Port Jeff Branch riders face potentially decades more electrification woes

BY RAYMOND JANIS EDITOR1@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

The decades-long proposal to electrify the Port Jefferson Branch line of the Long Island Rail Road is nearing yet another derailment.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, public owner of LIRR, is expected to unveil its 2025-2044 20-Year Needs Assessment in October. Larry Penner, a transportation analyst and former director for Federal Transit Administration Region 2, considered that document pivotal for the project’s future advancement.

“If the project is not included in that 20-year document, then none of us are going to be alive to see electrification,” he said, adding pessimistically that electrification “is not on the radar screen” of senior MTA or state-level officials.

Requests for comment submitted to the press offices of the MTA, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and U.S. Congressman Nick LaLota (R-NY1) went unanswered.

A cry unheard

Generations of North Shore residents and community leaders have called upon the MTA to electrify the Port Jeff line to no avail.

Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) has been among Long Island’s loudest and most prominent proponents of electrification in recent years. In an interview with TBR News Media last summer, he said public investment has shifted away from the Island.

“Our voice has not been raised,” he said. “There hasn’t been an investment in providing modern technology” to this region.

Village of Port Jefferson Mayor Margot Garant voiced similar frustrations. According to her, a fully electrified rail would boost local and regional economies, expediting travel to Manhattan and between North Shore communities, namely transit to and from nearby powerhouse Stony Brook University.

The project “would incentivize people being able to take the train not only into Stony Brook but into the city in a really timely manner,” she said.

From an environmental perspective, former Port Jeff Village trustee Bruce Miller decried the existing railway infrastructure as “ludicrous.”

“It’s appalling that they’re using diesel in this day and age,” he said, adding, “Everyone is making every effort for green energy in all fields except for the MTA and the Long Island Rail Road.”

State legislators join the cause

Local leaders are not alone in their disappointment over the long delay. State Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) condemned what he considered an imbalance between the state taxes Long Island spends and the infrastructure dollars it gets from Albany.

“Long Islanders already contribute greatly to the MTA and deserve better access to more reliable and dependable rail service,” he said in an email,

referring to Port Jefferson Branch electrification as a “critical project.”

At the western end of the branch, state Assemblyman Keith Brown (R-Northport), whose district includes travelers from Huntington, Greenlawn and Northport stations, expressed dismay over the state’s billowing budget yet few returns for North Shore residents.

He noted the apparent contradiction between Albany’s green energy priorities and the MTA’s continued use of diesel locomotives, which are due for replacement in the coming years.

Referencing the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which targets an 85% reduction in statewide greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2050, Brown regarded the continued dependence upon diesel technology as inconsistent with state law.

“They can’t really replace the existing fleet with diesel trains,” he said. “At the same time they’re calling to stop the use of gas in homes, the MTA and LIRR can’t be purchasing diesel locomotives.”

The Empire State Passenger Association is a transit advocacy group that aims for improvements in public transportation services throughout New York state. ESPA president Gary Prophet said the passenger association has endorsed Port Jefferson Branch electrification over the years, referring to the project as necessary and justifiable given the volume of commuters along the line.

“That is a heavily used branch of the Long Island Rail Road that should be electrified,” he said. “It probably should have been electrified in the past, but it just hasn’t happened for a variety of reasons.”

A history of inaction

The original concept of Port Jeff line electrification dates back over half a century. However, planning began in earnest in the early 1970s when electrification of the North Shore line extended up to Huntington.

Derek Stadler, associate professor and web services librarian at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, has closely followed historical developments along the Port Jeff Branch.

He attributes the failures to electrify the line to a combination of resistance from property owners near the tracks, engineering challenges, financial setbacks and bad luck.

“In the ‘80s, they had money set aside to start working on it though they hadn’t secured the funds to complete it,” he said. “Then in 1985, the president of the MTA postponed that indefinitely.” Stadler contends this was the closest the project ever was to moving forward.

In the ‘90s, the MTA launched a fleet of dualmode locomotives which are still in use today. Despite the good intentions, Stadler maintains that this fleet has not adequately substituted for electric service. Given the high costs to repair and replace outdated train cars, Stadler regarded this effort as a poor long-term investment.

“They have spent more money on that new fleet PORT JEFF BRANCH CONTINUED ON A4

PORT JEFF BRANCH

Continued from A3

and repairing them than if they would have done the electrification way back in the ‘80s,” he said.

Prioritization problem

The current cost estimate of Port Jeff Branch electrification is $3.6 billion, though that figure will almost certainly climb. To secure these dollars, however, the North Shore is competing against other project proposals across Long Island and New York state.

Throughout LIRR’s history as a public railroad company, North Shore riders have lost out consistently to their inland counterparts traveling along the Ronkonkoma line. Richard Murdocco, adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science at SBU, chronicled this pattern, saying the pursuit of Port Jeff Branch electrification continues running up against the hard realities of the MTA’s prioritization scheme.

“The question is: Is electrification really the priority on the North Shore, or should you electrify east of Ronkonkoma?” Murdocco said. Given the spur of recent growth in Yaphank and new developments in the Town of Riverhead, he added, “If I’m the MTA, I’m electrifying the East End before I electrify the North Shore.”

Further hampering investment into the Port Jeff Branch is the topography along its route. Given the large hills and frequent bends, the flatter main line may win the day for its comparably simple engineering logistics.

Murdocco said the MTA could either electrify

the Port Jeff Branch, which “meanders along the hilly terrain, or you get a straight shot through the Pine Barrens, where there’s already talk of them doing it, where they’re welcoming it and where there are no neighbors to disrupt.”

Political and financial distress

Penner claims the political and financial currents are also working against North Shore residents. Suffolk County’s state representatives are increasingly in the legislative minority in Albany, leaving mere “crumbs on the table” for infrastructure improvements.

“Suffolk County does not have the political clout that it used to,” he said.

Even so, the MTA is encountering a systemwide economic crisis from the COVID-19 pandemic, with daily ridership hovering around 65% from pre-pandemic levels. Murdocco insists that many of the labor trends unleashed by COVID-19 will likely linger indefinitely.

“There’s no denying remote work is here to stay,” the SBU adjunct professor said, adding, “We don’t know how long the ramifications of the pandemic will last.”

Meanwhile, the MTA is facing even greater fiscal strife over looming labor negotiations. With recent inflation, Penner said the agency could lose potentially hundreds of millions from renegotiated union contracts.

“All of this plays into the bigger picture of MTA’s overall health,” Penner said, which he considered dismal based on state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s (D) most recent analysis. “They’re barely staying afloat maintaining existing service, systems and repairs,” the former FTA official added.

Penner, Stadler and Murdocco expressed collective pessimism about Port Jefferson Branch electrification getting underway within the next decade. “As of right now, I do not see this project happening within 10 years because I do not see a fiscal way for anyone to pay for it, given the MTA’s current financial status,” Murdocco said.

Looking for answers

Given the hefty $3.6 billion price tag, Miller proposed exploring alternatives to electric service. He cited examples in Germany, where zeroemission hydrogen-powered train cars recently went online.

“Hydrogen technology is new but they’ve developed it, and it’s working in Germany,” the former village trustee said. “I don’t think they’re exploring enough options here.”

But implementing high-tech propulsion technologies may be out of reach for the MTA, which uses a late 19th-century fuel source to power the Port Jeff line. When asked about these potential innovations, Brown expressed skepticism.

“As far as hydrogen is concerned, that’s all it is right now — experimental,” the state assemblyman said. Rather, he favored pursuing electrification in a piecemeal, station-by-station fashion, dispersing infrastructure funds for the project over several annual budgets.

Penner implored community members to adopt a policy of maximum pressure upon their elected representatives.

“I wouldn’t give a dime to any elected official unless, with your campaign contribution, there’s a little note in your check [that says] you have to promise me that electrification of Port Jefferson

will be your number one transportation priority,” he said.

Stadler emphasized executive support, arguing that several system expansions during the administration of former Gov. Nelson Rockefeller (R) were made possible by the chief executive’s commitment to seeing them through.

“A lot of money has to be budgeted for it,” he said. “State leaders have to be involved in it, and pressure from the governor” can be a reliable instrument.

To make the electrification dream a reality, Garant said all levels of government should pool their energies around this cause. “It’s certainly going to be a long-term plan for the region,” she said. “You need partners on every level, from the federal and state levels to the town and county.”

Prophet said megaprojects, such as the $11 billion East Side Access extension into Grand Central Madison, have taken up much of the political and economic capital in New York state.

“I think there’s a lot of emphasis on large projects that make a big splash,” the passenger association president said. “Politicians need to spend a little more time on smaller projects that may not make a big splash but may help commuters and people looking to travel between cities.”

Setting the stakes, Penner returned to the 20-year capital needs assessment. He equated the North Shore’s present predicament to a baseball game.

“You’re in the ninth inning with two outs,” he said. “The last at-bat is the 2025-2044 20-year capital needs assessment.” He concluded by saying, “If this project is not included in that document, then the ball game is over.”

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e founders, Cathy Deano and Renee Maloney became friends when their kids attended kindergarten together. Cathy, who was an entrepreneur having previously owned a catering business, a restaurant and a jewelry company and Renee, who was the president of a non- for- pro t art association wanted to upli their community a er the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

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The following incidents have been reported by Suffolk County Police:

Holbrook woman arrested for DWI

Suffolk County Police arrested a Holbrook woman on Feb. 1 for Leandra’s Law for allegedly driving while intoxicated following a motor vehicle crash with her 10-year-old son in the vehicle. Veliza Lugo was driving a 2022 Chevrolet SUV southbound on Hawkins Avenue, just north of Smith Street, in Lake Ronkonkoma when she struck two other vehicles at 5:46 p.m. It was determined Lugo was allegedly intoxicated at the time of the crash. There were no injuries reported in the crash and the child was released into the custody of family. Lugo, 42, was charged with Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a Child Passenger 15 Years Old or Younger (Leandra’s Law), Driving While Intoxicated, Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. The Chevrolet was impounded. Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to call the Fourth Squad at 631-854-8452.

Centereach man pleads to guilty to stabbing a police officer

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on Feb. 6 the guilty plea of Jonathan Nunez, 27, of Centereach for stabbing and seriously injuring a Suffolk County Police Officer in 2021 after an attempted traffic stop.

According to court documents and the defendant’s statements at his guilty plea allocution, Suffolk County Police Officer Christopher Racioppo observed a vehicle being driven in an erratic manner and with its lights off, on South Ocean Avenue in Patchogue on April 10, 2021, at approximately 10:30 p.m. When Officer Racioppo activated his emergency lights in an attempt to pull the vehicle over, Nunez, the driver, sped away and the officer pursued him. Nunez subsequently crashed into another vehicle at a high rate of speed, totaling both vehicles and causing minor injury to the other driver.

Nunez then exited his vehicle and, despite directives from Officer Racioppo to stop, he fled on foot. Officer Racioppo chased Nunez into a backyard where Nunez stabbed Officer Racioppo in his upper left leg, severing his femoral artery. Witnesses and other responding officers at the scene were able to restrain Nunez and render lifesaving aid to Officer Racioppo.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA

Wanted for petit larceny

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate a woman who allegedly stole assorted groceries from Stop & Shop, located at 260 Pond Path, in South Setauket at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 24. The merchandise was valued at $116.

Nunez is due back in court on March 13, 2023, and is expected to be sentenced to 16 years in prison followed by five years of postrelease supervision.

Pedestrian killed in Farmingville crash

Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that killed a pedestrian in Farmingville on Feb. 5. Steven Godden was driving a 2022 MercedesBenz northbound on North Ocean Avenue at Granny Road when he swerved in an attempt to avoid hitting Roland Degroff, who was running east across the roadway at the intersection against the direction of traffic control devices at 7:40 p.m. The Mercedes struck Degroff, who was then struck by a 2021 Hyundai Sonata being operated by Yair Pacheco. Degroff, 58, of Port Jefferson Station, was transported to Long Island Community Hospital in Patchogue where he was pronounced dead. Neither Godden, 41, of Mount Sinai, or Pacheco, 44, of Coram, or two passengers in the Mercedes-Benz, were injured. The vehicles were both impounded for safety checks. Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to contact the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652.

— COMPILED BY HEIDI

SUTTON

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS.

Jonathan Nunez

Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD

Centreach Cougars nip Patriots

BY BILL LANDON DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

The Ward Melville Patriots looked for a muchneeded win against Centereach in a League II matchup at home, but the Cougars were able to keep the Patriots at bay, snatching a 57-53 victory Friday, Jan. 27.

Ward Melville, trailing by nine points to open

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the second half, were able to trim the deficit by one point late in the game, but the Cougar defense was able to thwart the threat.

Senior Derek Zhang topped the scoring charts for the Cougars with 14 points, and senior Christopher Buzaid netted 13.

Lorenzo Beaton scored 17 points for the Patriots, and Devin Lynch banked 13.

The win lifted the Cougars to 8-5 in the division, securing a playoff berth. The loss dropped the

Patriots to 5-7.

The Cougars retook the court Feb. 4 with a road win against crosstown rival Newfield followed by a blowout win over Connetquot on Feb. 7.

Pictured clockwise from top-left, Patriots Devin Lynch battles Evan Grant; Centereach senior Derek Zhang drives the baseline; and Ward Melville junior Lorenzo Beaton fights Will Kiernan for the rebound.

The Town of Brookhaven

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To Place A Legal Notice Email: legals@tbrnewsmedia.com

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— Photos by Bill Landon

Cougars corral Wolverines in crosstown showdown

BY BILL LANDON DESK@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

It was the battle between the cross-town rivals on Saturday, Feb. 4, when the Newfield Wolverines hosted the Cougars of Centereach. With playoff implications, both teams entered the Div. II contest with 6-7 records.

Newfield broke out to a seven-point lead after eight minutes and took a 10- point lead going into the locker room at half.

The Cougars exploded in the third quarter, scoring 14 while holding Newfield to just six points to begin the final eight minutes of play. Newfield battled back, swapping a

one-point lead in the closing minutes, but Centereach staved off the late game surge to win the game, 54-49.

Raiyah Reid did what she’s done all season, leading the Wolverines in scoring with 17 points despite not playing most of the fourth quarter. Senior Madison Brooks banked 12 points and Payton Martin netted eight.

Freshman Hayley Torres topped the scoring chart for the Cougars with 21, and teammates Meaghan Grieco and Mia Juvelier banked 12 and 11 points, respectively.

The win lifts Centereach to 7-7 with two games remaining before postseason play begins.

— Photos by Bill Landon

Pictured clockwise from above: Newfield sophomore guard Jessica Alba is congratulated on the sideline; Newfield junior Jasmine Ricchetti boxes out; and Newfield’s Sheyla Lynton and Centereach’s Mia Juvelier look for the rebound.

Clockwise from top-left: Newfield Wolverine; Newfield sophomore Payton Martin drives the baseline; Centereach senior Mia Juvelier sets the play; and Centereach senior Juliana Speziale shoots from the baseline for the Cougars in a road game against Newfield.

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Editorial Letters to the Editor Electrify our line

The decades-old plan to electrify the Port Jefferson Branch line of the Long Island Rail Road has transformational implications for our community, region and state. Yet for far too long, this critical infrastructure need has gone unmet, passed over repeatedly for other projects.

The MTA’s long pattern of negligence has condemned our commuters to ride in rickety train cars powered by diesel, an antiquated, environmentally hazardous fuel source. For a better ride, our residents often travel inland to Ronkonkoma, the MTA siphoning ridership to the main line and adding cars to our already congested roadways.

A fully electrified rail would provide the necessary recharge for downtowns still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. It would free up mobility for our residents, connecting them to every restaurant, bar and storefront along the North Shore within walking distance of a train station.

Electrification would give students and faculty at Stony Brook University swift access to Manhattan, producing even stronger ties between the southern flagship of our state university system and the global capital. This project would unlock the full commercial, environmental and educational potential of our region.

Throughout history, generations of New Yorkers have participated in engineering feats of great scope and vision. In the early 1800s, our citizens constructed the Erie Canal, bridging the world’s oceans to the American frontier. A century later, we built the state parkway system, laying thousands of miles of road, linking Montauk Point and Niagara Falls along a continuous stretch of pavement.

Generations have taken part in our state’s rich public works tradition, which has united New Yorkers around herculean aims, facilitated greater movement and improved the lives of ordinary people.

Yet, at every stage, the North Shore has been systematically shut out from any public investment of considerable scale. MTA has continually repurposed our tax dollars with no giveback to North Shore communities.

With our money, MTA recently opened its Grand Central Madison terminal ($11 billion), opened the 9.8 mile Third Track between Hicksville and Floral Park ($2.5 billion) and laid the groundwork for a proposed Interborough Express between Brooklyn and Queens ($5.5 billion estimated).

For us, Port Jefferson Branch electrification is our shared vision of change. This is our noble cause, our generational investment, our Erie Canal. The funds for the projected $3.6 billion Port Jeff electrification project are there if we can start getting them to come our way. And to do that, we must begin applying maximum pressure upon our elected officials.

From village and town boards to the county and state legislatures to the United States Congress, every public representative between Huntington and Port Jeff must be in alignment, letting out one common cry, “Electrify our line.”

We must treat electrification as the paramount infrastructure concern of our region, demanding our elected representatives and public railroad match our level of conviction. We should cast no vote nor contribute a single campaign dollar for any candidate without their unyielding support of this project.

This October, MTA will publish its 20-year Capital Needs Assessment. Port Jefferson Branch electrification must be included within that document for it to have any shot to prevail over the next two decades.

Write to your congressman and state reps in Albany. Write to the MTA and LIRR. Tell them to electrify this line, lest there be consequences at the ballot box. With all our might, let us get this project underway once and for all.

Sign of our times

It is a sign of our times that some people believe that it is entirely reasonable to have those with whom they do not agree to be banished from public discourse, or in the modern parlance, to be “canceled.” Such a person is John Hover, who, in a Feb. 2 letter to The Village Times Herald [“Flooding the zone”], recommended the banishment of Mark Sertoff for pointing out a few of the many shortcomings of electric vehicles, and of me, for suggesting that the transgressions of Rep. George Santos [R-NY3] may have been inspired by the successful mendacity of several prominent politicians, all of whom happen to be Democrats.

Sertoff’s fatal offense, according to Hover, is that he failed to state that electric vehicles are “dramatically more energy efficient than internal combustion engines.” The truth is that some EVs may be more efficient at some times and under some conditions than internal combustion engine vehicles, but this is not “dramatically” true in all cases.

And so, we are told that a writer needs to be canceled, not for something he wrote, but because he failed to promote the talking points of a group with which he does not agree. For those who are interested, the highly respected Anderson Economic Group recently published a report entitled “Gas-powered cars cheaper to fuel than electric in late 2022.” Maybe AEG needs to be canceled as well, along with Mark Sertoff.

After having terminated the writing career of Sertoff, I was next. My apparent sin was stating that Rep. Adam Schiff [D-CA30] “repeatedly lied about having ‘smoking gun’ evidence proving that President Donald Trump [R] had colluded with Russian operatives to throw the 2016 election.” To prove me wrong, Hover claimed that Russian agents offered campaign dirt on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton [D], and campaign manager Paul Manafort shared campaign polling data with the Russian ambassador.

One of Schiff’s most famous lies was that he himself was in personal possession of a “smoking gun,” although he never did share this alleged information with the public. When asked about it at a later date, Schiff declared that it had been “in plain sight” the whole time. This was only the tip of the Schiff iceberg, and we can thank House Speaker Kevin McCarthy [R-CA20] for removing this bad apple from the tree of Congress.

With regard to Santos, if I choose to suggest that his meteoric rise may have been inspired by the successful disregard of the truth by politicians who preceded him, why is that not my prerogative?

If John Hover is so concerned about

“veracity and honesty,” as he sanctimoniously claimed in his letter, he should take a look at the current occupant of the White House and leave the First Amendment alone.

George Altemose Setauket

A matter of human decency

This week MAGA members of Congress engaged in the glorification of the AR15 rifle by wearing a pin of the aforementioned weapon on the lapel where most members would normally display an American flag. The pins were distributed by Rep. Andrew Clyde [R-GA9] who proclaimed that it was to “remind people of the Second Amendment of the Constitution and how important it is in preserving our liberties.”

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Two freshman members of Congress explicitly stood out as those who chose to adorn themselves with this despicable display, Reps. Anna Paulina Luna [R-FL13] and Long Island’s own George Santos [R-NY3]. Luna should be particularly ashamed of herself — as if Republicans can experience that emotion — since only days before she chose to accessorize with this unscrupulous trinket there was a mass shooting in the city of Lakeland in her home state. As for Santos, well there is no excuse, other than maybe he convinced himself it was a boutonnière, and rather than engaging in his congressional duties (as if), he was attending a winter formal at West Beverly High.

How must surviving victims and families feel when members of Congress have the audacity to revere the very weapon that has injured, maimed and killed so many people in this country? It is blatantly obvious that these representatives simply do not care and will continue to push their ignorant agenda no matter the

cost to the sanctity of human life. I would include this in the “you can’t make this s**t up” category, but we are so past this point in our country of division that the actions of these Trump sycophants no longer rely on shock value to get their point across. This is not a Bill of Rights issue, it is a matter of human decency, something which surely requires personification by those who represent us at the highest level of government.

Stefanie Werner East Setauket

Photo from George Santos’s congressional website

Opinion

A novel and free food stop sign on the way to a jelly donut

Y

ou don’t have to pay me. I’m not selling anything, and I don’t have any desire for you to provide testimonials.prepared for something that might not be all that pleasing.

D. None of the above

Many of you have probably pledged to lose weight. It’s healthy, you’ll look and feel better, and you might increase your endurance, allowing you to walk, jog or engage in your exercise of choice for longer. Some of you may have gone to the gym for a week or even a month and are ready for a break or, maybe, a different way.

Before I proceed, I’d recommend that those with weak stomachs or who are eating one of their favorite meals not read this until you’ve happily digested your food and are now

No, I’m not going to suggest something harmful or particularly unhealthy. I’d like to suggest a few sensory images to keep in mind that will prevent you from eating too much of the wrong foods.

So, let’s say there’s a jelly donut at your office. Now, I want you to picture or imagine any of the following:

— You’re exercising at the gym (you don’t have to go to the gym. Just imagine yourself there). Maybe you’re on an elliptical machine. There, standing in front of you is a man who has a ring of hair above his ears and a bald spot on top of his head. He’s on the phone, with air pods in his ears, and he brings his index finger slowly to the bald part of his head. He starts digging his fingernail into that spot. Over and over and over again. You try to look away, but then, he’s still there, digging. Even with all the noise of other people grunting, sweating and

clearing the phlegm from the backs of their throats, you can hear the scratching as if it were broadcast directly into your ears. You want him to leave, but he’s planted in front of you. Yes, I know I may have turned you off the gym and food at the same time. Then again, were you really going to the gym or were you just looking for an excuse to cuddle up under the covers? And, yes, this did happen to me.

— Okay, next, you’re walking into a house filled with dogs after a rainstorm. The dogs are friendly enough and, in fact, want you to pet them, which is fairly unpleasant because their fur is covered with water. Soon, the smell of matted, wet, soggy dog fur overwhelms you. You can barely breathe as you search for an open window and fresh air. That donut might taste like wet fur at this moment, right?

— You don’t have to work out to imagine this one, either. Picture yourself in a gym locker room. You’ve changed into your work clothes and are ready to return to your desk.

Shame and honor…two lost words

Has anyone noticed that there seems to be a conspicuous lack of shame in our society? One could also point out, in the lacking department, the disappearance of honor. And to a great extent, of respect. Yes, and even civility, courtesy, apology and politeness.

not just another cranky, older person. No, I’m referring to something else, something more sinister in our present culture.

Now I am not accusing everyone here. Just saying that these qualities seem to be a lot less evident in today’s world. I guess if you never need to tell the truth, you never have to admit that you lost a tennis match ... or an election.

But, wait, the scent of body odor is so strong that you have to breathe shallowly through your mouth. You search for the exit, which seems to have moved, leaving you stuck in a foul-smelling maze. A jelly donut is the last thing on your mind.

— The heating system in your office suddenly goes on full blast, turning your office into a sauna. It’s so hot that sweat drips down your forehead and lands in a growing puddle on the floor. Your body sticks to the material on your seat. Even the saliva in your mouth feels too hot to swallow. Water is much more appealing and refreshing than food at this point.

Okay, so, if all you got out of that is that you now want a jelly donut, my apologies. Chances are, you wanted one anyway and maybe it’s time to find a gym that smells nice and where men aren’t scratching their scalps. If, however, those unappealing images work for you, consider this a free food stop sign.

Between

Now I am not pointing a finger at any particular demographic, as in, “In my generation, we always stood up if we were seated, when introduced to an elderly lady,” or “Children shouldn’t talk to their teachers that way.” Members of older generations have traditionally found fault with those coming up after them, for being less ambitious, or mannerly or some such. But I would hope I am

That loss of good sportsmanship is troubling. I like to see, for example, when the other two participants in a nightly round of “Jeopardy!” turn and applaud the winner at the end of the contest. It makes me feel that we are all together as part of a community when the ball teams each form a line and shake hands with the opposing team members, however competitive the preceding game might have been.

George Santos (R-NY3), the newly elected Congressman from Queens, is a case in point. He is merely a product of our times, if an extreme one. While he now admits to falsifying the resume he campaigned on, he

seems to consider his behavior acceptable, exaggerating not lying. During Tuesday night’s State of the Union address, he unabashedly sashayed around the room, sitting in one of the most visible seats, shaking hands with many senators and the president, even taking selfies. He clearly feels no shame about his actions and no sense of consequence. What sort of culture does he come from? The answer is: one in which the lack of all the above attributes rule.

Santos is not the first such example, of course. I am reminded of the historic, “At long last, have you left no sense of decency?” question asked of Sen. Joseph McCarthy (RWI) by soft spoken American lawyer, Joseph Nye Welch, for the Army during the infamous Army-McCarthy hearings. Those hearings searched for Communist activities in the early 1950s on behalf of the Senate. McCarthy lied his way to power, but Welch’s immortal query, in effect, ended his career, as his Republican colleagues no longer accepted his erratic

antics, censured and ostracized him.

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), before Biden’s speech and noting Santos’s actions, told him he “shouldn’t have been there,” meaning front and center in the House, and had no shame. But so far, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA20) — odd repetition of names — has not publicly challenged or denounced him.

“He shouldn’t be in Congress,” Romney said, when he was questioned by the press after Biden’s speech about the testy exchange with Santos . “If he had any shame at all, he wouldn’t be there.”

Far from shame, Santos tweeted Romney, “Hey @MittRomney, just a reminder that you will NEVER be PRESIDENT!” Romney, of course, lost his presidential bid in 2012.

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