WHY DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME IS THE BIGGEST SCAM IN AMERICA

Tonight, at 2am across the country, the United States implements its new improved Daylight Savings Time, now arriving three weeks earlier and leaving us one week later. Information technology types (like my fiancee) had to deal with frustrated or worried computer users facing the reality that their PC's may not be programmed to handle the time change. The rest of us just have to remember to move our clocks and watches one hour ahead.

The change came about as a result of the new energy bill that was passed by the GOP-majority Congress in 2005. The theory--the reason most often cited for why we have daylight savings time--is that more hours of daylight save energy because Americans use their lights less and longer days discourage heat consumption (or something like that). Also, Daylight Savings Time is supposed to help farmers get more planting and harvesting done.

According to a professor at Tufts University who has studied the issue and written a book about the history of daylight savings time (later editions of this post will have his name, I promise) this isn't true. Daylight savings time doesn't save electricity, it doesn't waste more electricity, but it does possibly encourage more driving, which of course leads to more gasoline consumption.

Uh huh...remember that this was the brainchild of a GOP-dominated Congress and a bill that was wholeheartedly supported by President Bush and Dick Cheney.

Also, the new DST ends after the first weekend in November now so the candy and costume industry--which has lobbied for a longer daylight savings time for years--finally gets its wish and has Halloween night with more daylight. And more money in their respective coffers.

I know it sounds crazy, but think about it people--everything in this country is done so that somebody behind the scenes can make a little extra money. Is it a big deal that we have more daylight savings time? Of course not. I actually wonder why the government bothers with the pretense of going back and forth every year when we could just have DST the whole year round. But I think learning about some of the lies and rationalizations behind Daylight Savings Time was an important reminder not to accept the standard gospel about why we do things.

So go ahead tonight and spring ahead. Just remember to keep it real.

Peace...