Zing

I just wanted to post a link to Senator John Broden’s (D-South Bend) submission to the USDOT on time zones because he had a pretty good zinger against Gov. Daniels:

Lastly, I understand that Governor Daniels has weighed in that he supports placing St. Joseph County in the Eastern time zone. You may want to wait to file his letter until after the November 30 deadline because his position may change again as he has had no fewer than five “positions” on the time zone issue and those are just his public comments. Further, his position on this issue would appear to be contrary to the legislation passed by the General Assembly which called upon the State to support the County Executive of any County that seeks to change the time zone that they are in.

Also, while I’m at it, a link to the submission of Mark Catanzarite, Vice President of the St. Joseph County Council. Councilman Catanzarite notes that an Eastern Time Zone designation for St. Joseph County once Indiana begins observing Daylight Saving Time means later sunrises during the spring and fall. This, in turn, means greater danger for school children and school buses when the weather is snowy and/or foggy — weather conditions to which St. Joseph County is very susceptible. He then makes an interesting argument citing Executive Order 13045 which requires, among other things, an agency such as the USDOT to take into account the effect of a proposed regulation on the health and safety of children.

Furthermore, whereas a two hour delay still allows school days to take place, a weather condition requiring a three hour delay results in cancellation of the entire school day. So, an extra hour of morning darkness in the spring and fall, particularly in St. Joseph County where snow-related weather conditions are frequently an issue, could easily lead to a number of extra missed school days each year.