Time change is small price to pay

In this editorial, the Indy Star recognizes that Daylight Saving Time is unpopular with a large segment of Hoosiers. Their response? Screw ’em; “respected business leaders” say that this will lead to job creation. Guess what. Ken Lay was a “respected business leader.” “Respected business leaders” say a lot of stuff. Some of it is even true. The legislature should’ve put its money where it’s mouth was and installed a mechanism to revoke DST if it didn’t lead to significant job creation.

Come on. You won. Now shut up about the job creation and the economic benefits of DST. It’s hogwash. The Indy Star says:

“Will DST be an inconvenience? For some, perhaps. But a little inconvenience is a small price to pay for better jobs.”

There won’t be better jobs. Our good jobs went to Mexico and China. You think our “respected business leaders” care what time it is in those places?

The Indy Star has an article on DST entitled Running out of time. In it, I think we see what’s really at the heart of the desperate desire to change clocks twice per year on the parts of some of those who live in Indiana:

It’s long past time Indiana come in line with 47 other states that already observe DST.

There you have it. They want to be like everybody else. Presumably they’d want Indiana to jump off a bridge if everyone else was doing it. It’s part of the McDonaldization of America where one strip mall looks much like another. Of course, real Hoosiers don’t care much what other people think. For a Hoosier, if it works, keep it. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Oh, and the opinion suggests that the DST language could be attached reasonably to any bill dealing with economic development or transportation issues. Gee, why not put it in any bill that has to do with the environment. Because DST has to do with our daily relationship to the sun. That’s kind of environmental, right? Or maybe they could put it in with a healthcare bill because our daily relationship with the sun impacts our health. Or maybe they could jam it in with the voter ID bill because it will affect the time of day voters get to the polls. Hell, put it with the Poet Laureate bill. Poets write about the sun don’t they? The possibilities are endless if one is willing to call that much of a stretch “reasonable.”