Letter: Tired of switching time twice a year

Permanent, year-round daylight saving time is a tried — and failed — experiment.

In December 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act to begin this two-year experiment.

Initially, 79% of the public favored the daylight time move, according to a study by the National Opinion Research Center of the University of Chicago.

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In the months to follow, reports in The New York Times and The Washington Post reflected dissatisfaction. Most of the concern came from parents and school officials about the winter darkness and resulting traffic accidents/children deaths.

By February, opinion for keeping permanent daylight saving time dropped to 42%, according to the National Opinion Research Center.

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A House committee report found that a majority of the public expressed “distaste” for daylight saving time in wintertime.

On Oct. 5, President Gerald Ford signed legislation reversing permanent daylight saving time. Recently, Congress and states (including Colorado) have pushed for permanent, year-round daylight saving time — an already proven failure.

Interestingly enough, the Uniform Time Act of 1966 specifically allows for a state to exempt itself from observing daylight saving time by simply passing a law.

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While Hawaii has never observed daylight saving time, Arizona hasn’t since the year after the enactment of Uniform Time Act, having exempted itself.

Honestly, I’m tired of switching time twice a year.

To stick to Standard Time year-round, we need to petition state House and Senate representatives in the Denver Capitol.

Push for it. Write them. Call them. Let them know to act.

Because instead of complaining, I’d rather do something that’s within reach to achieve.

We can do this.

Jonathan Bowers
Durango