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View Poll Results: Would you support taking New Mexico off Daylight Savings Time?
Yes. The government does too much unjustifiable meddling as it is. 49 57.65%
No. I've read the arguments but it should still stay. 21 24.71%
Doesn't matter to me. 15 17.65%
Voters: 85. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 10-30-2010, 09:56 AM
 
Location: Abu Al-Qurq
3,689 posts, read 9,140,108 times
Reputation: 2990

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Since it's apparent that the upcoming election will shuffle the state government around at least a little, I thought it'd be a great time to start a discussion on DST.

Our neighbor to the west, Arizona, is quite content to not have DST. Is there any good reason for us not to discontinue this silly practice?

Let's take a Zoidberg-eyed look at DST.

What if the government said to you, from now on.. you are supposed to get up an hour earlier for work, eat lunch an hour earlier, and go to bed an hour early?

Sure, you could rebel. But the masses are basically doing it with or without your participation. Your boss, lunch associates, and family expect you to do it too.

Not only does the government do that, and everybody accepts it, but they're sneaky about it. And they can't decide how many months out of the year to do it (just pick a system and stick with it!), or when it should start or when it should stop.

According to a number of sources, including wikipedia, the arguments they keep using to justify first having the system, then changing it all the time, are dubious at best.

*Saving energy. Let's think about this. Most DST is during hot months. When you get home an hour earlier, odds are the house is that much hotter than it would have been an hour later. On goes the air conditioner, and one more hour of juice gets used up. (Some people may leave their house at 70° 24/7 whether they're home or not but I wouldn't imagine that's terribly common). That extra morning hour at work involves far less energy saved, since it's cooler at that time of day. Isn't that great? Not only does DST cost us more, but it transfers energy costs from employers to homeowners and renters.

*Reduction of night-time accidents. Multiple studies show that accidents spike, probably in excess of any annual savings, during these abrupt time shifts, because it sleep deprives Americans.

*Saving money. They calculated in 2007 that the time change cost America between $500M and $1B. Not a bad place to start when people talk about cutting wasteful government spending.


We wouldn't be alone in this cause if we decided to take it up; Arizona and Hawaii would stand side by side with us if we decided this mercurial and ill-advised government experiment was discontinued in the Land of Enchantment. I've added a poll to see if the readers of this board would support a politician enacting legislation discontinuing NM participation in DST.
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Old 10-30-2010, 10:00 AM
 
Location: Out in the Badlands
10,420 posts, read 10,768,629 times
Reputation: 7800
Just another example of Fedzilla showing us who's boss.
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Old 10-30-2010, 10:04 AM
 
Location: Ruidoso, NM
5,667 posts, read 6,546,092 times
Reputation: 4817
I like DST... and the way it is currently scheduled. It's nice having a little extra sunlight in the evenings.
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Old 10-30-2010, 10:29 AM
 
Location: Where I live.
9,191 posts, read 21,781,606 times
Reputation: 4933
I just hate the changeover. Arizona (except the rez) and possibly one other small area (can't remember which) are the only ones who decided not to mess with DST, and I wish it would be done away with.

Use one or the other, but don't switch between the two. They have now made DST so long--why even bother changing back just from November to sometime in March?
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Old 10-30-2010, 10:55 AM
 
1,938 posts, read 4,732,470 times
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The ONLY aspect that makes any sense to me is the idea that it helps school kids in the morning.

And I'm far from convinced on that one...
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Old 10-30-2010, 01:21 PM
 
Location: Metromess
11,798 posts, read 25,079,672 times
Reputation: 5219
Cathy4017: Part of Indiana didn't observe DST until very recently. I think DST is a stupid concept, since there is only a certain amount of daylight no matter where clocks are set ("saving daylight" is impossible). I'm a creature of the night anyway!
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Old 10-30-2010, 03:41 PM
 
Location: Where I live.
9,191 posts, read 21,781,606 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by catman View Post
Cathy4017: Part of Indiana didn't observe DST until very recently. I think DST is a stupid concept, since there is only a certain amount of daylight no matter where clocks are set ("saving daylight" is impossible). I'm a creature of the night anyway!
So AZ is the only area left!

I agree. I always thought it was dumb to start with.
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Old 10-30-2010, 04:49 PM
 
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
3,011 posts, read 9,994,795 times
Reputation: 1170
I'm for it. I voted to keep it.

I like the summer months when it stays light longer in the evening.
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Old 10-31-2010, 10:04 AM
 
Location: Abu Al-Qurq
3,689 posts, read 9,140,108 times
Reputation: 2990
So far, in this highly scientific poll, looks like a majority is for it, possibly making it a worthwhile cause (in that a repeal movement might actually be able to get a majority).

Other than the "I like extra hours of sunlight" argument, anyone else got any reasons they want it to stay?

Also, is this sort of thing most likely or appropriate to put to a constitutional amendment, legislative bill, or gubernatorial edict? Anyone have enough political knowledge to say what form it would take if it did come to pass?
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Old 10-31-2010, 10:42 AM
 
Location: Canada
2,140 posts, read 6,441,169 times
Reputation: 972
I think we should always be ON DST!
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