If you're from Indiana, then this has got to be a subject that affects you in one way or another. If you are from Indiana and it doesn't affect you, let me know what medication you're on, and I can make a fortune.
Indiana has been one of only three states in the union, the others being Arizona and Hawaii, who don't observe Daylight Savings Time. And while I admit that I love not having to change our clocks twice a year, it is a bit bizarre when you talk to people out of state or try and make travel plans and make the correct adjustment in your head as to exactly what time it will be someplace else while nothing changes time-wise in our illustrious state. Time and time again(no pun intended, ok, maybe a little), our state legislators have tried to bring up the DST plan for at least discussion over the years, only to be met with a roadblock by the majority of our state's senators and representatives. That is, of course, until this year.
Newly elected Governor maybe your man Mitch but certainly not mine Daniels has a loyal constiutent of party line electees that have finally gotten past the previous blockades and have actually managed to get a passage in the Senate by the required number of voters to at least present this matter to the house for consideration. And while I have to admire the progress made, it seems that here and here alone the progress stops.
Seems that after removing language from the bill that would have illegally allowed counties to opt out of observing DST, now the question comes up as to whether maybe Indiana should be moved from the Eastern Time Zone to the Central Time Zone.
Okay, for the record, Indiana has been on Eastern Standard Time since 1948! We are in pace with the eastern part of the country, well, at least until April when DST springs into effect, and then we are in pace with Chicago, if you consider Chicago in pace with anything! So, after nearly 60 years in this time zone, certain people think it's time to change, move our clocks back to CST, and then spring forward to DST in April.
Are you getting this picture here?
If Indiana moves back into the Central Time Zone, and then springs forward an hour in April to observe Daylight Savings Time, guess what? It's still going to be the same friggin' time it is right now, and we gain no daylight, we save nothing, we simply add aggravation to our lives by having to change our clocks twice a year so we can be on the same damned time we are already from April to October. Jeez, how much money are our state lawmakers spending to come up with this "grand" idea of theirs? How much "time" are they spending on this crock of crap?
Okay, bear with me a bit longer here, and think about this, please. Right now, as Indiana observes Eastern time and no DST, it starts getting dark in the dead of winter not long after 5 pm. If Indiana switches to CST, during the winter, it's going to be getting dark shortly after 4 in the afternoon. Some school children will be getting home after dark after spending all day in school. People will be getting home after dark from work.
Now, if it starts getting daylight during the winter right now, let's say for instance, around 7:30AM or so, when our clocks are moved back to observe CST , it will be getting daylight around 6:30 or so. So, basically, when we move into CST , we are going to be gaining our daylight hours only in the mornings and only when we are NOT observing DST! Who in their right mind can think that this is benefical to the residents of this state?
Why is it when Indiana decides to take a step forward and get with the program they aren't content unless they take a minimum of 3 steps back? Why would anyone think that this present plan of theirs actually gains anything for us in the long run?
Personally, I think if Indiana is going to actually observe DST, the only logical answer is to remain on EST to actually gain anything of any profitable nature. If I'm going to actually receive any benefit from DST, let me have one more hour of daylight in the summer evenings when the weather is pleasant and enjoyable. Don't take an hour of my daylight away in the winter, because frankly, getting home from work in the dark sucks!
Do I mind changing to DST? No, not at all, but give me a reward for all this trouble and confusion and don't mire Indiana back down yet again. It's the new millenium, it's time (there's that word again) for Indiana to move forward and make some progress and quit staying behind the times(man, that word just keeps popping up, doesn't it?).
Besides, my wonderful wife of 27 years bought me this really nice time zone watch a couple of years back for our 25th anniversary and I would hate like hell to see it become obsolete in such a short period of , you guessed it, TIME!
Come on, folks, don't let Indiana be the laughing stock of this country. Call, write, let those people some of you elected know that EST is the only place for Indiana to be. Makes me wonder, if Mitch Daniels hadn't sold out IPALCO would he be behind this drive for DST and CST? Food for thought, huh?
No comments:
Post a Comment