The way state Rep. Dave Crooks sees it, the federal government is letting Gov. Mitch Daniels skate on whether Indiana should be in the Eastern or Central time zone.
Daniels during his campaign said it made sense that as much of Indiana as possible should be in the Central zone. But he backed off that preference after taking office.
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Transportation said counties must make their own cases for switching time zones before it will consider hearings on boundary changes. That, Crooks says, leaves Daniels conveniently away from the fray and comfortably on the sidelines.
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In the past, the specific information sought from counties included why a change would help commerce, where businesses get supplies and where TV and radio signals originate.
The agency has said it was unprecedented for a state, county or city to request a change without stating a preference. The only suggestion in an Indiana law enacted earlier this year requested no changes for five counties each in northwestern and southwestern Indiana on Central time and five in southeastern Indiana in the Eastern zone that observe daylight-saving time.
mitch promised us statewide hearings on the time zone issue, but because he didn't do the necessary work, we won't get them. at best, a few scattershot counties might get to switch, but there now appears to be virtually zero change of moving to central time, for example. (not that i was dying for central time, but part of the reason the bill went through was because a lot of hoosiers do want central, and a lot them are now screwed.)
doug at masson's blog has a roundup of pertinent stories and links, as well as an analysis of why doug thinks the whole debacle is mitchs's fault.¶
