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Let’s move onto a simple issue… like the measurement of time...
Prop 7 - Permanent Daylight Saving
Our presenter disclosed that she hates when the time changes twice each year and that she was looking forward to finding a reason to vote “yes.” After that, everyone else in the group also disclosed that they, too, hate when the clocks must be changed. So, yeh. No one likes the status quo. But is that a good reason to vote yes on this particular version of change? Read on…
People read the actual language of the prop differently. Some in the group thought the initiative would have us on permanent Daylight time, some thought we’d be on permanent Standard time, some thought we’d be on neither unless (even after passage of Prop 7) California further petitions the federal government for a change. Whatever the interpretation, no one’s leanings seemed to be dependent on the details here.
The operative part of Prop 7 “permits the Legislature by two-thirds vote to make future changes to California’s daylight saving time period, including for its year-round application, if changes are consistent with federal law.” So it’s important to remember that nothing actually happens if/when we pass this thing. TWO additional hurdles must be hurdled - the feds must allow it, and then the state legislature must actively change things by a super majority. Nothing hasty here, folks. But passage of 7 would be a baby step towards eliminating the time discontinuities we now know and hate.
For the record, CA Dems, CA Republicans, and CA Greens are all for this! But all the major papers are against it, with the exception of the LA Times coming in with a weak endorsement.
The truth is that a change in any direction would affect most Californians broadly but shallowly. Kids who walk to school early in the morning would be affected in winter by potentially unsafe darkness. People with Seasonal Affective Disorder would either be happier or sadder, but not all would react the same way. And, studies have shown that DST has such limited energy-saving implications nowadays that it really doesn’t make a difference at all from an environmental perspective.
Looking at fiscal impact, there is “none stated” in the voter guide because the proposition doesn’t actually change anything (just allows the legislature to do so in the future). But it only takes a normal imagination to see that there are many ways, large and small, that economics will shift if DST becomes permanent. The one example I read repeatedly was that just keeping U.S. flights lined up with international travel schedules would cost $147 million a year. If this is true, what other fiscal impacts like this will emerge?
Bottom line: there’s a metric ton of data to read here if you want to. Heart attacks will go down! Heart attacks will go up! People will be safer or less safe! Energy use will go up. Or down! None of it is conclusive.
At poll time, the presenter remained undecided and pledged to keep reading. But a prevailing sentiment among those present went along the lines of “California has enough shit to deal with right now, we don’t need the unintended consequences that come with fixing things that ain’t broke.” The group was swayed in the “no” direction as follows:
The Straw Poll has it: Yes -- 0; No -- 8 ; Completely Confused (or merely indecisive) -- 5