Close Window

Fight over time pushed aside far more important matters OPINION By JACK COLWELL Time spent on "saving" time could have been used more effectively in the Indiana General Assembly to deal with more serious problems affecting the state's future. Education certainly is one such problem. Property taxes are another. Gov. Mitch Daniels made a mistake -- and seems to have acknowledged it -- in appearing to push for mandatory daylight-saving time as his No. 1 objective, even as he backed down on his earlier insistence that the legislature must pass a budget that balances immediately. "It's my own damn fault," Daniels told the Chicago Tribune in an article published last week. The context was in reference to whether Daniels regrets championing daylight time while other problems abound. Daniels was quoted as conceding that it "wouldn't be the end of the world" if Indiana retained its present time system. Gosh, the way the governor lobbied with legislators on time, you might have concluded that the world would indeed end without all Hoosier clocks springing ahead and falling back. Actually, it's not all Daniels' fault that most Hoosiers believe the legislature and governor did little else other than wrangle over time amid a bunch of close and dramatic votes. Never did the governor say that daylight time was the No. 1 goal of his administration. Never did he intend that it would be. While many voters in this area now say they would not have voted for Daniels if they realized he would push for changing clocks, he made clear on numerous occasions during his campaign that he was for daylight time. His opponent, then-Gov. Joe Kernan, also was for it. The surprise was how hard Daniels pushed for daylight time, how much political capital he spent on it, despite all the time it was taking and how contentious it had become in the legislature and among Hoosiers. Still, he did not want or expect it to overshadow all else. As he took office, Daniels at a news conference called for daylight time. But he did not bring up the subject or intend it to be viewed his top goal. He cited his support, not in an opening statement of goals, but in response to a question. He talked of other subjects as well. The news media, particularly the Indianapolis TV stations that have crusaded for financial reasons for daylight time, made the Daniels' call for the time switch the big news. No story drew more attention in legislative coverage than time. Daniels didn't want that. He even suggested at a later news conference that a question about daylight time would be met with shooting the questioner. Yet, he lobbied with legislators at every one of the precarious steps through which the daylight bill moved, usually finding just enough Republicans to side with him. Republicans didn't want to say "no" to their new governor. Democrats didn't mind saying "no" because of their disdain for Daniels in other matters, especially school funding and a voter identification bill they regarded as partisan. So, time became partisan, although a majority of legislators in each party really didn't regard it as important. They hoped not to have to vote on an issue dividing their constituents and bringing heated missives from back home. Daylight time is a matter of personal preference, not economic development. There is no proof of widespread economic gain from daylight time. It helps TV stations but hurts theater operators. It is more convenient for a business with customers to the East or in Michigan, less convenient for a business with customers in Chicago or involved with the steel industry in northwest Indiana. A theory that time confusion in Indiana costs business is kind of like the theory that a full moon brings increases in crime. You can't prove it. You can't disprove it. But it's your right to believe it if you want. And you can find somebody willing to spout statistics for the theory if you ask around enough. Many Hoosiers, especially those who have opposed daylight time because they don't want always to be on the same time as New York, never on the same time as Chicago, will remember in the next election who was on which side. It is one of those emotional issues that will by itself sway votes. Like gun control or abortion. Silly? Perhaps. But once the issue was reopened, emotions were stirred anew in a state that simply cannot, because of its geographic location, find a uniform time situation uniformly pleasing. What is most unfortunate is that once the issue was reopened, it took up so much time and so much of the governor's clout that other matters of more significance for the future were not addressed. They could have been. Instead problems of education and property taxes grow worse. Jack Colwell is a columnist for The Tribune. Write to him in care of The Tribune or by e-mail at jcolwell@comcast.net.

Close Window