|
Mr. Neil R. Eisner, Esquire
Assistant General Counsel for Regulation and Enforcement
Office of General Counsel
U.S. Department of Transportation
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590
Dear Mr. Eisner:
37 Years ago , Indiana tried an experiment (i.e. Eastern daylight
savings time). It didn’t work and was repealed 2 years later.
Indiana has observed Central Daylight Savings Time during the summer
for the past 35 years. In fact, Indiana lies well within the Central
Time Zone based on Greenwich Mean Time (the division is actually 100
miles east of the Indiana-Ohio state line). Now that the Indiana
legislature has passed Daylight Savings Time, the issue becomes one of
preserving Indiana’s summer daylight. Hoosiers have been accustomed to
all these years. As a result, Indiana families and evening businesses
would not be adversely affected. To achieve this, Indiana needs to
move into the Central Time Zone. An article by Nancy Sulok (South Bend
Tribune, April 25, 2005) also highlighted our close ties to Chicago in
relationship to governmental agencies and commerce. Most of the
regional offices of the federal government for Indiana are in Chicago.
This includes the U.S. Department of Justice and the 7 th Circuit
Court of Appeals. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
has its Region V office in Chicago, as well as the U.S. Citizen and
Immigration Services. The various subdivisions of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture have regional offices in Illinois. Chicago is the
headquarters for Region V of the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, which includes part of Indiana. Travelers are interlinked to
Chicago via O’Hare or Midway airports, or Amtrak trains.
Economic Impact of Eastern Daylight Savings Time:
Would Double (Eastern) daylight savings time adversely affect night
time businesses ?
Eastern Daylight Savings Time will have a harmful effect on our 22
outdoor movie theatres in Indiana. With the summer dusk at 9:57PM
(movie start time), it proved to be too late for many families
(drive-in theatres showed a 35-40% decrease in business in 1969-1970
when Eastern Daylight Savings Time was observed in Indiana). Michigan,
which observes Eastern Daylight Savings Time, has only 10 operating
drive-in theatres left today. Indoor movie theatres also showed a 20 %
decrease in business during peak hours while on Eastern Daylight
Savings Time in 1969-1970. Other night time businesses such as
restaurants (not fast food) will also be negatively affected as a
result of people doing more outside activities later and bypassing the
normal night time activities. There would be many closings resulting
in loss of employment , loss of income & loss of tax dollars.
The economic advantage Indiana now enjoys as a result of observing
Central Daylight Time will be negated, with the results on areas now
currently thriving being negatively effected. The idea that Eastern
Daylight Savings Time will create extra play on the area golf courses
is false, as I grew up on the Tri-Way Golf Course, and for 20 years
found 85% of play occurred before 6 PM. Ted Bumbleburg, Lafayette
Parks & Recreation Superintendent (Lafayette Journal & Courier, July
24,2005) believes Eastern daylight savings time will benefit all our
parks and recreational facilities revenue wise, but a WSBT-TV story on
August 15 reported Michigan State parks to be in financial trouble.
If we look at Michigan and Ohio (which both observe Eastern Daylight
Savings Time )as examples of what effect it will have on our state’s
economy, Ohio has lost over 100,000 jobs over the last couple of years
(compared to Indiana’s 46,000 jobs lost since 2000; quoted by Patricia
R. Miller, Indiana Secretary of Commerce: South Bend Tribune Opinion,
April 27,2005), and the experiment of Eastern daylight savings time in
Michigan has produced a billion dollar state deficit (compared to
Indiana’s million dollar deficit) and one of the highest unemployment
rate in the nation. A causal relationship exist that suggest
Michigan’s high unemployment rate is related to decrease worker
productivity from the lack of sleep.
The 2000 U.S. Census shows the population and businesses are moving to
the south and west. Moving Indiana into the Central time zone
increases business transaction with the rest of the United States,
rather than isolating itself to the east coast and dissociating
Indiana from the ever growing west coast.
Indiana is a Midwestern state (not Eastern), is only 2 hours ahead of
the west coast and 1 hour behind the east coast on Central time, and
therefore provides the best opportunities to conduct and expand
business throughout the United States
Indiana being in the Central Time Zone is an economic stimulus, since
our neighbors in Michigan & Ohio can cross over into Indiana and shop
an hour later.
Will Double (Eastern) Daylight Savings Time improve the quality of
life?
This is a claim promoted by our Indiana Chamber of Commerce. In fact
Eastern daylight savings time will decrease our quality of life.
Sleeping patterns and ultimately productivity will be negatively
affected. That so-called extra hour of daylight will help contribute
to an already sleep-deprived society. The lack of sleep produced by
decreasing the time when one goes to sleep (later with 9:57 dusk) and
the time one has to get up to go to work (unchanged by daylight
savings time), many mental and physiological changes occur.
Psychologists David Dinges (Dinges et al.,1988) learned that people
who get less than 8 hours of sleep per night show pronounced cognitive
and physiological deficits, including a loss of memory, decreased
decision making abilities, and dramatic lapses in attention. These
effects are cumulative (i.e. gets worse with lack of sleep day after
day as would be produced by Eastern Daylight Savings Time), these
deficits only grow worse. The lack of sleep also decreases worker
productivity. Eastern daylight will create a daytime to bedtime
summer:
- Lack of sleep from staying up later due to later sunsetà lapses in
attention & decreased worker productivity.
The later summer sunset would also create problems with children
getting to sleep on time, resulting in loss sleep, and a drop in
school performance at the beginning of the school year.
Eastern daylight savings time will have adverse effects on your
health.
It is well documented in the scientific literature (Shils &
Young,1988) that stress (from sleep deprivation) increases stress
hormone (corticosteroid ) levels. This in turn increases plasma
insulin levels , which stimulates our hunger center in the brain to
cause us to eat more. This stimulus ultimately results in increases in
total body fat. LDL-cholesterol (the bad cholesterol in heart disease)
is also elevated by long-term stress hormone elevations. So the lack
of sleep (from Double(Eastern) Daylight Savings Time) causes an
increase in the levels of stress hormones which via LDL-cholesterol
leads to an increase incidence of heart disease.
Another claim of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce is Eastern daylight
savings time will stimulate more outdoor activity and healthier
living. Data collected by Center for Disease Control & Prevention
(South Bend Tribune, August 24,2005) comparing the health of state
populations from 2001-2003 to that of 2002-2004 shows this claim to be
false. The results showed Ohio (on Eastern daylight savings time) as
one of the top 10 states with the increase in obesity. A CBS
Healthwatch that aired this summer cited a study which showed the lack
of sleep is directly related to obesity. Thus reinforcing the Ohio
trend as well as the model outlined above.
People will have more time to do outdoor activities with Eastern
Daylight Savings Time ?
False. You can’t increase the number of hours in a day. Your simply
shifting the light from in the morning to later in the day. The
Indiana Golf Association is pushing for Eastern Daylight Savings Time
with the illusion that it will significantly increase their evening
play. It may have an effect in the big city golf courses, but if using
the Tri-Way Golf Course (Plymouth, Indiana) where I was raised and
worked during 1969-1970 (the last time Indiana was on Eastern Daylight
Savings Time) as a yardstick, their was no increase in play in the
evening hours.
The vast majority of golfers are early risers that like to get their
golf in the morning especially on the weekends. The only significant
increase that was observed was vandalism on the course.
Another fallacy is Eastern daylight savings time will increase family
time. By shifting the sunset to 9:23 PM (dusk at 9:57 PM), families
will be adversely affected. (verified by U.S. Naval Observatory sunset
data: see attached Eastern daylight savings time summer chart). An
increase in parent-child conflict will occur when trying to send
children to bed while it’s still light outside.
Add to that, 4th of July fireworks displays not being able to start
until about 10:00 PM.
And if dad is out playing golf till 10:00 at night, where’s the family
time ?
Other invalid claims made by our Indiana Chamber of Commerce:
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce claims Eastern daylight savings time
will reduce crime by 10%, but fails to mention this study was done in
Washington, D.C., where the sunsets on June 21 at 8:37 PM (compared to
Indiana on Central daylight at 8:23 PM). So Indiana is already reaping
the benefits of daylight savings time. Are we lead to believe that
Eastern daylight savings time is going to further reduce crime ? Is
there a study out there that specifically demonstrates this ?
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce claims Eastern daylight savings time
will reduce energy consumption in Indiana, and cites a California
Energy Department study claiming a 3-4% reduction in energy costs.
But sunset in Los Angeles, California on June 21 is at 8:08 PM
(compared to Indiana on Central daylight at 8:23 PM). So Indiana is
actually going to save more energy than California if we use the
Indiana Chamber of Commerce rationale. But you reach the law of
diminishing returns because any electrician will tell you an air
conditioner that has to run an extra hour till the sun (in Eastern
daylight) goes down uses more energy than the lights turned on during
that extra hour of darkness (in Central daylight).
The main objective of daylight savings time was to conserve energy,
and if this is so important to the current state administration, then
why did you the administration recently increase the speed limit on
many of our state highways from 55 miles per hour (MPH) to 60 or 65
MPH. Did we forget the main reason for the 55 MPH speed limit in the
first place was to conserve energy ?
Will Double (Eastern) Daylight Savings Time have an adverse effect on
the safety of children waiting for the school bus in the morning dark
?
Again our Indiana Chamber of Commerce cites a 23 year old study
conducted by the Kansas State Department of Education in 2003 showing
that 90 % of school bus-stop accidents occur in daylight, but again
fails to point out that Kansas on daylight savings time has an extra
30 minutes of light (as exemplified by Topeka, Kansas, which has
sunrise at 7:38 AM on December 21 (the shortest day of the year),
compared to Indiana’s Eastern sunrise of 8:09 AM; U.S. Naval
Observatory data).
Morning darkness practically the whole school year is a clear risk
factor for children waiting for school buses. This shift to Eastern
daylight savings time proved to have tragic consequences in Evansville
when the city was in the Eastern time zone and observed Eastern
daylight savings time. Two children were killed waiting for the school
bus in the morning dark. That prompted Evansville to switch to the
Central time zone. School bus driver Fred Scott from Indianapolis
remembers the last time Indiana observed Eastern daylight savings
time, and that students will be getting on the bus in the dark most
mornings. The attached charts of Eastern Standard/Eastern daylight
illustrates Fred Scott is correct, and the clear risk to school
children safety that Eastern time year round poises. Considering
Executive Order #13045, “Protection of Children from Environmental
Health Risks and Safety Risks,” should be applied as it was in South
Dakota for 3 counties in 2003 (49 CFR part 71, Docket No.
OST-2003-15858).
An additional benefit would be on Central Standard Time it would be
light in the morning all year round (illustrated by the Central
Standard/Central daylight chart), which would decrease any potentially
dangerous situations for children waiting for a school bus. And would
further decrease the hazards and school delays created by fog in the
morning, thereby reducing the number of lost educational hours.
Yet another claim made by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce is Eastern
daylight savings time would increase traffic safety by adding more
light during the day The Indiana Chamber cites a 7% reduction in
traffic fatalities in a 1985 study conducted by the USDOT.
Yet in 1973 federal law that required the nation to observe daylight
time year round was repealed a year later because of an increase in
traffic fatalities. Eastern daylight savings time brings an
approximate 8:00 AM sunrise in October, December, January and March.
The majority of commuters are at work by 8:00 AM. Hazardous road
conditions such as black ice would be more prevalent in the morning
dark. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce claims that Eastern daylight
saving time add more sunlight, but actually shifts the sunlight from
the dangerous morning hours to the evening. Daytime temperatures are
on average 20 degrees warmer during the daytime than in the morning,
and with road crews clearing and/or applying materials (i.e. salt,
gravel) to the road surfaces, evening commutes would not be
compromised from a safety standpoint on Central Standard/ Central
daylight time. An The earliest dusk occurs is at 4:46 PM on December 1
(illustrated by Evening Hours: Central Standard/Central daylight; data
obtained from U.S. Naval Observatory), and not 4:00 as some would like
to scare you into believing.
Central Standard/Central daylight would decrease dangerous winter
conditions such as black ice that exist when people are driving to
work in the dark of morning.
In conclusion, given the fact that Eastern daylight savings time has
had deleterious effects on the economies of Michigan and Ohio, one can
conclude that Indiana’s economy will be depressed partially from
decrease worker productivity, and adversely effects indoor theatres,
and cripple our state’s family-oriented outdoor movie theatres.
Domestically, Eastern daylight savings time will cause unnecessary
disruption of conservative structured family values coupled with the
harmful effects on families (increased sleep deprivation and increased
risk of heart disease), and potentially serious consequences on our
children’s safety in the morning, one can only conclude that the
Central Time Zone is the logical choice.
Thank you for your consideration,
David Kinney, Ph. D., M. S., R.D., and Founder
hoosiersforcentraltime.com
Dinges, D.F., Whitehouse, W.G., Ome, E.C. & Ome, M.T. (1988). The
benefits of a nap during prolonged work and wakefulness. Work &
Stress, Vol. 2, pp. 139-153.
Shils, M.E. and Young, V.R. (1988). Modern
Nutrition in Health and Disease, 7th Edition, Philadelphia, Lea &
Febiger.
_______________________________________________
Mr. Neil R. Eisner, Esquire
Assistant General Counsel for Regulation and Enforcement
Office of General Counsel
U.S. Department of Transportation
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590
Dear Mr. Eisner:
I operate a 3 screen outdoor movie theatre (Tri-Way Drive-In Theatre)
in Plymouth, Indiana (Marshall County) and have done so for twenty-one
years. During that time I have been able to revive the business, and
establish a loyal customer base. Three years ago, while attempting to
expand my business, I circulated a petition for customers to sign in
support of this expansion. An analysis of these petitions showed that
65 % of my clientele comes from St. Joseph County, 30 % comes from
Marshall County, with the remaining 5% from other surrounding
counties. The Tri-Way Drive-In Theatre is the only outdoor movie
theatre left in either St. Joseph or Marshall County.
St. Joseph County has already substantiated its arguments for moving
to the Central time zone. A public hearing in Marshall County revealed
that 71 % of businesses preferred the Central time zone. To place both
St. Joseph and Marshall Counties in the Central time zone would
maintain consistency in relation to businesses, and the Tri-Way
Theatre would be one such example.
In addition, the 9:30 to 10:00 PM movie start time that would occur
with Eastern daylight savings time, produced a 35 to 40 % decrease in
drive-in movie theatre business in 1969 & 1970 (the last time Indiana
observed Eastern daylight savings time). A plausible explanation for
this decline is the movie start time was simply too late for families
wanting to go out to the movies. And now more than ever before,
successful drive-ins are specifically geared to the family environment
(in fact, our drive-in has a no alcoholic beverages policy we strictly
enforce).
One other consideration related to my business is the reduction in the
potential number of employees I would be able to hire with Eastern
daylight savings time. To illustrate this point, if one was able to
start the movies at 9:45 PM in the middle of the summer (dusk with
Eastern daylight savings time), you would have approximately 15
minutes of policy film and previews, followed by the first feature. If
that first feature lasted 2 hours or more (as many summer movies do),
you would be looking at intermission between the 1st and 2nd feature,
when everyone goes to the concession stand to get refreshments at 12
midnight or later. Sixteen and seventeen year olds, according to the
labor laws, have to be clocked out by midnight. As a result, with
Eastern daylight savings time, these potential employees could not be
hired. Considering the drive-in hires between 15 to 20 employees, a
reduction in the number of potential employees the drive-in could draw
from, would result in the reduced quality of customer service.
Therefore, factoring in the poor quality of customer service (due to
the lack of quality employees, or lack of numbers), the conflicting
times that would occur with St. Joseph County in Central and Marshall
County in Eastern, coupled with the 9:30 to 10 PM movie start time,
would all cause a serious reduction in business and destroy a piece of
Americana that once dominated the countryside.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
David R. Kinney, President
Tri-Way Theatre, Inc.
_______________________________________________
Mr. Neil R. Eisner, Esquire
Assistant General Counsel for Regulation and Enforcement
Office of General Counsel
U.S. Department of Transportation
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590
Dear Mr. Eisner:
I operate a 5 screen indoor movie theatre (Showland Cinemas) in
Plymouth, Indiana (Marshall County), which serve not only the people
of Marshall County, but also has approximately 40% of our patrons that
come from Starke County. For these two counties to be on different
time zones would be extremely detrimental to my business, as the movie
showtimes that would be consistent with Marshall County (if left in
the Eastern time zone) would be an hour earlier in the Central time
zone (proposed change for Starke County). A movie theatre is connected
to time more than any other business.
Starke County has already made their argument for the Central time
zone. A public hearing in Marshall County showed that 76 % of citizens
and 71 % of businesses preferred the Central time zone. Thus placing
Marshall County in the Central time zone and on the same time zone as
Starke County is of the utmost importance for my business to survive.
It should also be noted that Plymouth’s major shopping center, which
includes Lowe’s, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, and many other stores, and
restaurants such as Bob Evans and Applebee’s are located in the same
area as Showland Cinemas. These businesses located on the west side of
Plymouth, and just off of U.S. 30, also have a major customer base
from Starke County, and would be adversely effected as well if
Marshall County were left in the Eastern time zone.
Thank you for your consideration in this
matter.
David Kinney, President
Showland Entertainment Enterprises, Inc.
_______________________________________________
Mr. Neil R. Eisner, Esquire
Assistant General Counsel for Regulation and Enforcement
U.S. Department of Transportation
Washington, D.C.
Dear Mr. Eisner:
I would like to clarify and supplement an
earlier paper I submitted. The primary focus of this letter is north
central Indiana, and the request by a number of counties in our area
to switch to the Central Time Zone.
The first clarification concerns MACOG (
Michiana Area Council of Government), which is a member only
association, and includes St. Joseph, Marshall, Elkhart and Kosciusko
Counties. This association does not include LaGrange, Starke, Pulaski
and Fulton Counties which are all part of the media/commerce region
(referred to from now on as the North Central Commerce Region)
identified by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce (2004 Survey of Buying
Power) and published in the September 2004, Sales & Marketing
Magazine. At the MACOG meeting conducted earlier this summer in
Plymouth, Indiana (which I attended, but was not attended by the
representative of Juday Creek Golf Course), the committee stated a
preference to remain in the same time zone, however did not state a
time zone preference. So any and all implications that MACOG supported
the Eastern time zone are false and erroneous.
Futhermore, of the eight counties included
in the North Central Commerce Region, five of the counties conducted
public hearings (i.e. St. Joseph, Marshall, Starke, Pulaski and
Fulton) seeking input. In every one of these counties, Central time
was the time zone of choice. The St. Joseph County time zone hearing
(which I attended) revealed a 3 to 1 public preference for the central
time zone. This is further substantiated by petitions with signatures
collected by the Tri-Way Theatre, Inc., (available upon request) and
individual e-mails registering on the hoosiersforcentraltime.com
guestbook in support of central time (only names, city ,state and zip
code were requested for internet security reasons). These two sources
comprise the typed listing that was submitted to the St. Joseph County
Commissioners.
Marshall County actively sought business
and public input in their decision to petition for the Central time
zone. The public hearing (which I attended, and the representative
from Juday Creek Golf Course did not), revealed that 71 % of Marshall
County businesses and 76% of Marshall County residents preferred the
Central time zone. Time zone hearings in Starke and Pulaski Counties
(attended by one of my associates) were skewed even more toward the
Central time zone. And the same overwhelming preference for Central
time was revealed in Fulton County.
Elkhart and Kosciusko Counties failure to
conduct public hearings on the time zone issue should not prevent (or
block) those counties that actively sought the desires of the citizens
they represent.
The decision to move St. Joseph and
neighboring counties to the Central time zone should center on the
preference of the majority of counties in the North Central Commerce
Region, and would also maintain the continuity of the Central time
zone around Chicago by only increasing the perimeter of the region.
This measure would also not preclude Elkhart and Kosciusko Counties
from joining this Central time zone region.
Thank you for your consideration in this
matter.
David R. Kinney, Ph.D., M.S., R.D.,
President, Showland Entertainment Enterprises, Inc.,
President, Tri-Way Theatre, Inc., and
Founder, HoosiersForCentralTime.Com
_______________________________________________
"I fully support you!
Please check out my letters below and my website. And let me know how
I might help."
Central Time Zone for Indiana (top of webpage)
Essay and Economic Analysis (bottom of webpage)
Best regards,
Jeff Sagarin
email: jsagarin@attglobal.net
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (S.B. Mathematics, June
1970)
Indiana University (MBA-Quantitative Business Analysis, May 1983)
_______________________________________________
"Now that we will be
observing DST, I would very much like to see as much of Indiana as
possible on Central Time.
State Representative Jackie Walorski of Lakeville says, "If we do nothing,
we'll end up in Eastern Time. If we're proactive and do something, we
can probably petition to be in Central Time.
"Several of the counties are going to go together and give a resolution to
the governor in a couple of weeks and say we're petitioning to be on
Central time. I really want us to be in this consortium of counties
that makes a presentation to the governor, because we have a lot more
power when we come together, as separate counties in a region instead
of being
all by ourselves on the issue..."
A "Central Time coalition... plans to make a presentation to the governor
in a few weeks, which is well in advance of the federal hearings that
will probably take place this summer."
I would like to see as many counties as possible be part of this
consortium or coalition.
Because most localities prefer to have their clock read 12:00 at local
noon, the earth has been divided up into 24 natural time zones, each
15 degrees wide. This results in approximately the same number of
hours of sunlight in the morning (before noon) as in the evening
(after noon) in the middle of each zone. The Eastern zone is centered
on 75 degrees and the Central on 90. This puts the natural
boundary between Eastern and Central time at 82.5 degrees.
If you look in the atlas, with Fort Wayne at 85 degrees and Evansville at
87 degrees, you can see that all of Indiana lies well within the
natural boundary of the Central time zone, as well as virtually all of
Kentucky and Michigan, and the western half of Ohio.
Over the years, the statutory boundary has gotten moved quite a bit west
of the 82.5 degree line in the U.S., especially north of Kentucky. I
would like to see this boundary moved back closer to the natural
boundary in Indiana by being drawn up our eastern border, aligning our
time with our neighboring states to the west rather than those to the
east.
Because most of Indiana has been observing Eastern time, and since Indiana
is well within the natural boundary for Central time, there is already
plenty of daylight in the evening to suit me. Even as we have been
from 1966 until now (year round Eastern Standard) we already have
anywhere from nearly an hour (November) to nearly two hours (February)
more daylight in
the evening than in the morning.
If Indiana successfully petitions to go to Central time, this would stay
the same in the summer. If we continue on Eastern time, the sun would
rise in July about 6:40 am and set about 9 pm, giving us only 5.3
hours before noon and 9 hours after noon, or a whopping 3.7 hours more
sun in the evening than in the morning. Our clocks would read 1:50 pm
at local noon. This just seems excessive to me.
I find it helpful to be able to wait until twilight before trying to get
the family to bed. I find 8:45 pm already late enough for that in the
summer months. It would be even tougher to get children to bed at a
decent hour if we had to to wait until 9:45 pm for twilight on Eastern
Daylight time.
Central Daylight Time, which most of Indiana effectively observes now,
would still give us nearly two extra hours of sunlight in the summer
evenings. Central Standard Time in the winter would give us one more
hour of morning sunlight than we have now. Having the sun up by 7am
instead of 8am in December would be a nice help to dispel the
mid-winter gloom."
Bill Starr
email: bill.starr@spamex.com
Sun, 29 May 2005, 10:45pm EST / CDT
_______________________________________________
To Whom It may Concern;
Please forward this request to the appropriate individuals responsible
for choosing our new time zone!
Our family has just relocated back to our home state of Indiana after
living in another state for the past 15 years! We believe in our
hearts that putting Indiana into the Eastern Time zone would be enough
to make us move out of Indiana for good!
The Central time zone not only makes logical common sense from a
geographical stand point, but also from a business stand point...
Not to mention that our children will be waiting for their school
buses in the dark 8 months out of the year if put into the Eastern
Zone!!!!!!!!!!! We begg of you.....Please pick Central Time
zone.....It is the only choice that makes sense!!!!!!!!!!!
Please pass on our sincere concern onto the county commissioners,
Joanne Petrie and the state house officials whom are responsible for
making this decision!
Sincerely, Angela and Norm Spiegel New Palestine, Indiana
_______________________________________________
I also am for Central time. It is still
light out at 9:00 p.m. now. If we go Eastern, it will be 10:00 p.m.
and still be light. Do people really need to have activities at that
time of night? In the winter, it will be VERY dark for the children to
stand and wait for school buses. Never mind what Michigan does, they
will always operate with Detroit. We in this part of IN are
functionally tied to Chicago and Northwest IN. People in MI that work
in IN are complaining about time differences. Too bad, they chose to
live in MI. Maybe if we change to central, they will lobby for MI to
at some point change. The same can be said for KY.
I understand the actual time line puts us in the Central time zone.
Not Eastern. Thank you.
_______________________________________________
Fort Wayne is a retail and health care hub
for northwest Ohio and parts of southern Michigan. This only further
emphasizes why Fort Wayne should be on Central time, not Eastern. Many
people that live in Ohio and Michigan that love when we observe
Central Daylight Time because it provides them an extra hour to travel
to Fort Wayne for dining and shopping. Our situation in Fort Wayne is
nothing like near Louisville or Cincinnati pertaining to "local"
commerce. Ft. Wayne is in Indiana and people come here if they drive
over from Ohio or Michigan as you stated. The fact that Fort Wayne is
a retail and health care hub for northwest Ohio and parts of Southern
Michigan only validates why Fort Wayne should be on Central Time. It
will increase the dollars spent by out of state consumers as a vast
majority will have that extra hour to cross the state line to shop and
dine. Tony
_______________________________________________
I feel very strongly that we stay in
CENTRAL TIME. My children are 7 years and 4 years. Our time together
is very precious. Is Michigan not evaluating their time zone as well
and is looking at switching to CT . It seems I recently read of this
issue for them. Chicago is our primary contact we should follow them
not EASTERN.. I'm very worried about them waiting for the bus in the
dark not to mention their safety in the summer when the sun doesnt set
until 10:00. We have gang troubles in our area enough than to allow
them more daylight. thank you. Mary Sommers
_______________________________________________
David,
I thought I was for eastern time, but after recently vacationing in
Michigan and sitting outside until 10:00 and it was just getting dark,
I think I am changing my mind. It was ridiculous to be still running
around outside at 9:30-10:00 and I think it would be hard to drag kids
in from play and also get them to go to bed when the sun is still
shining in the sky. It sounds so trivial, but that is one drawback
that I see.
_______________________________________________
Dear sirs:
I am a former resident of Indiana. I grew up in Indianapolis (where my
parents still live) and went to college in the part of Indiana that
already is on Central Time.
One thing I would like to point out is that the House GOP and the Bush
Administration have been trying to pass an energy bill that would
extend DST to nearly nine months out of the year. If that passes, it
would be best for the rest of Indiana to be moved to Central Time
rather than have the sun rise after 8 a.m. for most of October and
November, which it already does in January under the current
arrangement. Being an hour behind for three months will be easier to
take than being an hour ahead for nine. I certainly hope the
congressional hearings go you way.
Michael McVey San Antonio, TX "LIVE FREE OR DIE!" --
State motto of New Hampshire
_______________________________________________
We are in favor of central time for all of
Indiana. We believe That our ties to the Chicago are are greater than
with N.Y. not to mention all the sports and TV shows are earlier than
Eastern time. WE feel that our school system will function better on
Central time.Please take this into consideration before making a
decision and do not let big Business keep you froom doing the right
thing. Sincerely, Robert & Cheryl Flaugher
Walkerton, In.
_______________________________________________
I'm 75 years old am well satisfied with
the time we've been on for over 40 years. Anybody with a little sense
could figure out what our time was if they are in a different time
zone. I would be the first to vote for impeachment of our governor and
our turncoat representatives & senators. As long as we have to change
times I think central time makes more sense.
Lavern E. Mason Sr. Bristol IN
_______________________________________________
40 some years ago I was a child about 12,
at that time Indiana changed to the time we have now. That was to
protect children from walking to school in the dark. I remember it
well. I was a child that walked a mile and a half to school. I really
don't want our time changed. We obviously have a governor that cares
nothing about children. I am a Republican but saw right through him
and did not vote for him. So I say since we have to change times I
think that our children will be safer on Central time.
Vivian B. Mason, Bristol IN.
_______________________________________________
It makes more common sense to be on
Central Time in the whole state. Especially we should be on the same
time with a big city such as Chicago. We should not be subjected to
dark mornings and late night news. Thank You for the opportunity to
speak out. Ross and Anne C. Devitt
_______________________________________________
This whole debate and Indiana calling of a
study to be done regarding this issue is riduculous IMHO. This has
already been established!!! First, I beleive it was done by the
railroads that wnated a standard of a straight up sun noontime for
each area, and then finally time zones were established by the D.O.T.
What was determined was that everything West of approx Columbus, OH
was in Central time and THAT'S what we should be in PERIOD!! No
need for discussion or repeat studies that have already been done IMO.
Personally it makes MUCH more economic sense to align yourself more
with the majority of the country instead of limiting yourself to
roughly aligning with only 1/3 of the nation doeasnt it?? What the
heck do I know...Im just a hick from the sticks Hoosier anyways.LOL
Sometimes us country boys aint as stupid as they think we are in Indy.
Randy Smuts Geneva, IN.
Also, I have heard NO ONE (IN govt. included) explain to me exactly
how DST benefits us financially. All Ive heard them say is .."it
does". HOW??
_______________________________________________
My husband and I are very much in favor of
all of Indiana being on Central time. We have children living in Knox
and our son-in-law works in Plymouth. Living in one time zone and
working in another within the same state is a hardship. My husband and
I live in Plymouth and go to church in Knox and go daily to a
chiropractor in South Bend. We also have a son and his family living
in Dyer. Getting together with them for lunch and dinner is an extreme
sacrifice for all. We beg you please help us to get all of the
state of Indiana on the central time. It makes since to enter another
state and have the time change. You expect that to happen. But it
makes no sense at all to bounce back and forth from one time zone to
another within the state.
Thank you very much. Our entire family plus our extended family vote
to keep us all on Central Time. Ken and Gerry Jackson
_______________________________________________
I live in Pulaski County (Eastern Time)
and work in Jasper County (Central Time). Half the year we're on the
same time, and half the year we're an hour different. This is nuts! I
get home SO late in the winter time, even though I get an extra hour
to get to work in the winter. Indiana should all be on Central Time.
We're geographically in the Central Time Zone! I hope you get them to
listen to us in Washington DC; although don't count on any help from
our illustrious Governor, who campaigned on fighting for Central Time
if we would all agree to DST. Now that he shoved DST down our throats,
("For our own good.") he has backpedalled like a typical politician,
and is now playing both sides of the fence. I wouldn't be surprised if
he flipflopped entirely and supported Eastern Time ("For our own
good.") to please his rich business cronies who want to be in synch
with the New York Stock Exchange. (But don't get me started.--HA!) YES
to state-wide Central Time!
_______________________________________________
You may have heard these concerns before,
but I want to be sure someone is thinking about what is best for our
children.I am strongly in support of the Central Time Zone for
Indiana. As a middle
school teacher at North Judson-San Pierre Middle School, I am greatly
concerned about students waiting for the bus in the dark each morning.
As a teacher and resident of this small, rural, low-socioeconomic
community, I am also concerned about the lack of time parents will be
spending with their children as they drive to and from Illinois and
the Calumet Region for work. When parents can't be with their children
during those crucial evening hours, children are adversely influenced
by video games, internet, and less-than-desirable television programs.
They also miss out on the ability to participate in family functions
at school and within the community, like the drive-in movies--a very
economical type of entertainment for the entire family. Lack
of parental supervision and involvement has a negative affect on our
youth becoming strong, positive, and productive members of the
community. These adolescents are our future, and we need to think
about what is best for them. Therefore, I strongly support Central
Time for the entire state of Indiana. Thank you, Anita Hershman
North Judson, IN 46366 Starke County |
