Adlai III's Best Idea
I can’t remember much about Adlai Stevenson, the 3rd.
After winning a state rep. seat in the 1964 bed sheet ballot, he was elected State Treasurer two years later, the same year that I was elected McHenry County Treasurer (despite my pitching Republican Harris Rowe in my fall pamphlet).
When he was talking about using state deposits to encourage loans for certain purposes, I remember visiting with him in his office. I suggested linking state money to Small Business Administration loans, having had that agency’s budget as my responsibility while I was a Budget Examiner in the U.S. Bureau of the Budget in 1965-66.
(When the tornado hit Belvidere, I offered to deposit some of the illegal surplus the McHenry County Board was accumulating to build the new courthouse in the towns banks, but apparently they were flush enough not to need it.)
But, back to Stevenson. I remember being disappointed enough with his service in the U.S. Senate to announce I was going to run against him. And actually doing some campaigning as far south as Lawrence County, hosted by State Rep. Roscoe Cunningham. (I wish I still had the welcoming poster. It had a characterature of me that actually looked like me.)
One thing that did impress me about Stevenson’s service was his suggestion—enacted into law—that the country have daylight savings time all year round.
That was during the energy crisis.
I wish we still had it.
But starting daylight savings time March 11th, as we do this year, is better than waiting until several weeks later. Last year the switch was made April 2nd, three weeks later.
Next fall daylight savings time will be pushed into November.
That will give trick or treaters more daylight time to gather goodies.
Unfortunately, it is not extended far enough into November to cover election day.
So, I lift a thank you toast to Adlai Stevenson, III, a man ahead of his time…at least as far as time goes.
More on the weekend at McHenry County Blog.
5 comments:
Two questions. Why change the dates of daylight savings time? And what would this have to do with energy?
SDT is about making it daylight when people are in transit in the morning, especially children.
Many other issues get involved - like energy savings since the lights don't have to be one when you are awake - but it ultimately comes back too protecting school kids waiting for the bus.
And any statistics on actually protecting these kids? Stats on energy consumption? Or just another meddling bunch of nonsense? What about kids coming home in the dark at 4:30PM? Don't these things kind of balance out without oversight from the State?
JBP
Actually, you can choose to live by whatever time you want. The government simply establishes a conventional time for those people who want to follow it. (Or rather, I think it was the railroads that originally were rather dictatorial about everyone following the same time description system. A lot of localities objected but when they couldn’t figure out when the train was coming, they saw the benefits of a standardized system.)
But set your watch to whatever you want. Or build a watch with more numerical options.
No one goes to Washington or their state capital to delve into the intricacies of DST. It is thrust upon public officials because of the complexities of a large country and the complications from time-zones being so wide.
And yes, there has been research about energy efficiencies. It’s probably a wash in terms of who is helped versus hurt.
"The government simply establishes a conventional time for those people who want to follow it", then changes it to try to convince voters that they are doing something valuable, rather than chasing lobbyist money around in DC.
JBP
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