Dear Sirs: last night it got dark about 9:00pm, which I think is correct. basically we are on central time now. I oppose eastern time for two major reasons. 1. Driving to work in the dark. (this is deer country)  2. Our children walking to school in the dark. Sincerely,  Bill Keeley
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My husband and I are from St. Joseph County in Indiana and we want to say YES TO CENTRAL TIME AND NO TO EASTERN TIME. I have tried to email Joanne Petrie several times and can not get thru therefore, I decided to drop a note to your web site. Thank you, Karl & Barb Zimmer
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Dear Ladies & Gentlemen, Our great state is located firmly in the central time zone, to expect our citizens to observe Eastern time is simply preposterous. The mere thought of our school children waiting in darkness for the am school bus eight months of the year is poor planning. Please arrange for Indiana to observe Central time 12 months each year.
Respectfully, Tim Millea  Plymouth, Indiana
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I am so angry this debate has become necessary that I could scream. It is so simple. Should it still be daylight at 10:00 pm? NO. Any other argument to me is inconsequential. There are no more hours in the day and the alleged economic and farming impact is a fallacy. I do think it would be ideal for MI and IN to be on the same time given our physical relation to each other but that zone is Central not Eastern. Michigan's decision to observe Eastern is their own problem. I hope that our local decision-makers have the common sense to select Central over Eastern and I hope that those who elected the current governor remember this at election time. Way to go Mitch - brilliant how you saved us an extra hour a day. Even more brilliant is how he deceived the populous into thinking all of IN would be on the same time. All he accomplished is the very real prospect of St Joe and Elkhart counties following different zones. Hopefully, Elkhart County will have the sense to choose Central but, if they don't, and as many problems as it would cause inter-county, St. Joseph needs to make the only intelligent decision and that is to follow Central not Eastern. Better yet, lets go back to the way it was and leave well enough alone! Thank you for compiling a very informative website!  Kimberly Bogucki,  Concerned IN resident
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 I am an owner of a waste hauling company that has employees on the street early in the mornings. My support for Central Standard time has nothing to do with golf or TV schedules. My interest is in employee safety. I need the early morning daylight hours for my employees to work safely on the streets and alleys between the hours of 4 am and 7 am. This also lets them finish their work day at 1:00 PM just when the oppressive Indiana heat and humidity sets in.
Stephen G Himes
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We are for Central time.
Helen T. Janowiak  South Bend, IN 46637
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I am extremely behind the central time zone for Indiana. Indiana needs to be on central time because there is no need for our kids to be at the bus stops when it is dark outside. Also it will extend a economic had to Indiana by allowing for a extra hour of shopping time for our neighbors up north in Michigan and also it will allow Indiana to be in line with one of the biggest citys in the united states Chicago. There are tons of reasons for this to happen, not to mention the residence of Indiana have been on the same time for a long time, and its just not smart to try and switch the state around. Its already a pain trying to remember that Laporte county, lake county and others are already on a different time than us. Now we will have to figure out different citys time zones if the eastern switch is allowed to take place. Please support this movement for Indiana to go to central time.  Thank you for your time,  Christopher Tyner
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Indiana used to be a Central Time State and changed for NO reasonable reason. It is aligned with Midwest businesses (Chicago) not East coast businesses (New York). It should be aligned with the rest of the MIDWESTERN states since we are the HEART of the Midwest. The issue is NOT Daylight Savings Time, the issue is CENTRAL or EASTERN time. INDIANA IS A CENTRAL TIME MIDWESTERN STATE. ALL of INDAINA should be on CENTRAL time.
PS to Governor Daniels, I voted for you for Daylight Savings time because YOU said YOU favored CENTRAL TIME, that is until you FLIP FLOPPED!!!
Yours truly, Frances C. DeJoy, Noblesville, Indiana
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More evidence Hoosiers want Central time from 1918 - today...
A majority of Hoosiers either want Central time, or want no Daylight time. Few want Eastern Time year round. Proof is in the numerous polls and public debates already taking place across the state and even historically. In 1918, Indiana was placed into the Central time zone (correctly). Back in 1961, Indiana was divided into the time zones it currently observes, but there was not uniform observance of DST for 2 reasons. 1, if Indiana was going to observe DST, it would have wanted to do so in Central time. 2, people just didn't want to observe it, but if they did, they wanted Central time (same as the western counties that observe CDT). Governor Branigan understood that for economic, geographic, and public preference reasons, Indiana should be on Central time which is why he petitioned DOT for hearings and to move all of Indiana to Central time. From 1967-1969, DOT held hearings on what time zone Indiana should be on. Indiana was kept on Eastern Time, a wrong decision.
Today, Hoosiers are divided, whether to or not to observe DST, then, what time zone. We are going to observe DST; the question is which time zone. It's clear that Hoosiers preference is Central time among those that support DST and those that don't, but must make a choice. For economic and geographic reasons, we should be on Central time. I live in Fort Wayne (Allen County), polls show we prefer central time and business does to. It's not universal, but the majority understands the economic benefits to being only 2 hours off Pacific Time and within 1 hour of Denver and New York (and being where we should be, the same time as Chicago). Allen County borders Ohio, but we're Indiana residents and don't care what time it is in Ohio. Second, our situation is not like the counties near Cincinnati (commuting there for work). Fort Wayne residents work in Indiana, we don't drive to Ohio. We are not tied to Ohio economically like the 2 counties near Cincinnati.
I looked out side and it was still bright out at 9 PM. I don't want the sun out at 10 PM, especially trying to get my children to go to bed. What happened to night being at night? Plus, if we're on Central time, kids can wait for the school bus with light year round.
The map I've attached to this e-mail shows what Indiana's time zone should reflect, all of Indiana on Central time except the 2 counties near Cincinnati and the 3 near Louisville. Please make the correct decision for Indiana economically, geographically, and public preference, place all of Indiana into Central time (accept the 5 counties already observing EDT). It will unify the state, help Indiana commerce, and show the public does have a say in what the majority wants. Place Indiana in Central time. Historically, Hoosiers want Central time and currently, we want Central time.  Thank you.
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WHEN IT COMES TO BUSINESS AND THE TIME ISSUE, I FIND IT MUCH MORE OF AN ADVANTAGE TO BE ON CENTRAL TIME IN THAT CUSTOMERS TRAVELING FROM CHICAGO WILL BE ON THE SAME TIME AND CUSTOMERS TRAVELING FROM MICHIGAN AND OHIO WILL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL HOUR TO GET TO OUR BUSINESS.  Jan Beck
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In fact, as it stands now, INDIANA is the only state of all the 50 states that is completely in the true mathematical boundaries of one time zone (Central) and yet is wrongly classified in another (Eastern). Thus when Indiana goes onto Eastern Daylight Saving Time, it will be TWO hours off from true earth-sun time. As of now, Daylight Saving Time occurs from April-October, a 7-month period. But the U.S. Congress is moving towards extending it to March-November, which would
mean Indiana would be TWO hours off from physical reality for 9 months out of the year. It would mean that we'd be on ATLANTIC TIME ZONE Standard Time right along with
Cuba, Aruba, and Puerto Rico, since those three countries do not observe Daylight Saving Time !
Just think, we'll be one hour off from Chicago, two from Denver, and three from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle, but .......on the EXACT SAME TIME as Havana(Cuba), Aruba, and San Juan(Puerto Rico) ! Imagine the business opportunities for the Hoosier economy; Who needs the Pacific, Mountain and Central Time Zones of our own country; we'll be right on time with the Caribbean now!  Jeff Sagarin   http://www.kiva.net/~jsagarin/sports/timezone.htm
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I WOULD LIKE FOR INDIANA TO GO WITH CENTRAL TIME. BECAUSE MY HUSBAND WORKS FOR CLARKS FOODSERVICE AND THERE MAIN BUSINESS IS IN CHICAGO. MY FAMILY LIKES GOING TO THE DRIVE-IN, LIKES WATCHING THERE SHOWS AT 7:00 INSTEAD OF 8:00P.M. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS SAFETY FOR 3 OF MY CHILDREN GOING TO SCHOOL IN THE MORNING SINCE LIVING OUT IN THE COUNTY WERE THERE ARE NO STREET LIGHTS!!     Michael and Dawn Collins
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Hello, I have a question. I completely agree with you that all of Indiana (except for the 5 counties near Cincinnati and Louisville that are already on EDT) should be on Central time. I read on your site that there is going to be a petition to the governor to put counties on Central time. Will this be for the entire state or just a few counties in the west? I live in Fort Wayne and our residents clearly want Central time also. A poll recently conducted by WPTA-TV shows that 65% want Central time compared to 35% wanting Eastern (over 1100 votes). There are a few more from Fort Wayne media to support this. I'm afraid the Eastern part of the state will be left behind and will be placed into Eastern Time. Can you give any feedback or insight on if your coalition for Central time is going to help all of the state or just central and western counties?  Thank you. Patrick A.
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Although all we hear is how it is going to help business if we changed to eastern time I am totally in favor of central time due to business reasons. I work in Elkhart and the company is based in New York . We have guanteed shipping (same day service with UPS) and summers are the only time it is even a reasonable guarantee. During winter months (eastern time) business is not better and it is nearly impossible to make the shipping guarantee. Having a company based in New York and being on eastern time would only make things more difficult and would not increase our business because of a time change. During the summer life is so much easier due to the time change of the east and it would definitely make many customers and associates happier to be on central time. I do not understand how we can be 2 hrs from Chicago and they are trying to force us to go on eastern time in the name of business. Maybe they should really go out and speak to businesses that are affected before making major changes. I suggest you speak to a large carrier like UPS and get their opinion which I am sure sides with the central time change.
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I live 80 miles from Chicago, NOT New York. My life revolves around Chicago, NOT New York. Common sense tells me we should be in the Central Time Zone. Of course, this makes sense and it's the politicians making the decisions.  Nuff said. K. Norris
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It just makes sense to remain in the Central time zone. Isn't already bad enough that the kids have to wait in the dark for buses during the winter time, why extend it any more? I don't want my children going to bed at 9:30 and the sun hasn't even set yet. It just is common sense to stay with Chicago rather then New York in time. In fact, Michigan should be on Central time as well as about half of Ohio.  Scott Kucela  South Bend, IN
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We need to be on central time zone because a majority of our clients are in central, mountain and west coast time zones. While on CST we can also service our EST time zone clients with our extended hours. I have heard so much talk that this was done because of the business community. Putting us on EST would HURT my business !  I vote for CST !!   G. Hamilton