No easy answers on time issue (11/15/04)

“Our man Mitch” says he wants to put Indiana on daylight-saving time.

Fair enough. The idea has been kicked around for generations.

There’s just one catch: Gov.-elect Daniels, as we understand it, wants most of the state to be on Central time.

The theory is that by putting the whole state on the same time as Chicago economic development would somehow be spurred.

For those of us along the right-hand border of the state, however, the prospect of being in the Central time zone year-round is a little gloomy.

You might say it’s as gloomy as a day in November.

Usually when folks talk about changing time systems, they focus on the advantages of daylight-saving time in the summer. But a shift to the Central time zone would have a profound impact on the winter months in this part of the state.

To get an idea what we’re talking about, take a look outside today at 5 p.m. If we were in the Central time zone, that’s what it would be like at 4 p.m. on a comparable November day.

Check it out at 6 p.m., and you’ll see what you’d be encountering heading home from work after 5 p.m. under Central time.

Things always get complicated when the legislature starts tinkering with clocks, and we suspect the next session of the Indiana General Assembly will be no exception.

The new governor is likely to find out quickly why this particular item has been kicked around for generations.

There are no simple solutions. — J.R.[[In-content Ad]]