by Norman E. Hooben
Back before
1883 most, I dare say all, cities and towns in the United States had their own set times. This was approximately fifty years after the
first successful railroad in America. And
so, what do railroads and time zones have to do with one another?
Well if it was
12 noon in Boston and the train was scheduled to leave for, let’s say,
Springfield (if such a route existed), it might be 11:45 in that town (exactly
the same time it left Boston). When the
train arrived at its destination the arriving passengers would have to reset
their pocket watches (for those that had them) backwards by 15 minutes. The reason for this discrepancy was that most
towns set their time by the sun…generally ‘high noon’ on the sundial.
As the
railroads expanded across the country scheduling became a problem so they
developed the time zones we know and use today.
More importantly, the people accepted this new uniformity in
time-keeping; even the government liked the concept. Commerce improved and businesses were now
able to ship their products on a dependable schedule.
The idea of
uniform time zones makes it easier for large masses of people to determine some
sense of order in their lives. But one
does have to remember what time zone they’re in. I once missed an event in the eastern time
zone that was to be held at 2 P.M. while I lived one hour away in the central
time zone…I forgot to plan my trip with the one hour difference and arrived at
3 P.M.
Meanwhile, most
people would agree that the current time-zones across America are efficiently
utilized by the transportation industry and travelers in general. That is most normal people! Once the government people stick their nose
into what free enterprise developed things become more complicated. Take the following proposal by the state of
Massachusetts…they want to create a 5th time zone in America. Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, and Atlantic!
(There is already an Atlantic Time zone; that’s where Nova Scotia is located) About the only reason that I could come up with
as to why they would want to do this is, they really don’t want to do it, they
just want some commission to study its feasibility. It’s a way politicians have to pay off
political favors… Here, we’ll put you on a commission and pay you large sums of
money to study something nobody wants.
Resolve
SD.2227 189th (Current)
Resolve An Act
relative to studying the impacts of changing the Massachusetts time zone
Resolve Title: Resolve An Act relative to
studying the impacts of changing the Massachusetts time zone
By Mr. Keenan (by
request), a petition (accompanied by resolve, Senate, No. 0000) (subject to
Joint Rule 12) of Thomas Emswiler for
legislation relative to studying the impacts of changing the Massachusetts time
zone. Economic Development and Emerging Technologies.
SECTION 1. (a) Notwithstanding any general
or special law to the contrary, a special commission is hereby established to
conduct a comprehensive study relative to the practical, economic, fiscal, and
health related impacts of changing the
Massachusetts time zone from the eastern time zone to the atlantic standard
time zone. Said study shall focus on the impact to local and regional
economies, public education, public health, transportation, energy consumption,
commerce and trade if the time zone is altered. The commission shall report on
its findings and make recommendations to the general court on whether it would
be beneficial for the commonwealth to enter into the atlantic standard time
zone.
The commission shall consist of 8 members: 1 member of the senate who shall be
the chair of the joint committee on economic development and emerging
technologies or a designee who shall serve as co-chair of the commission; 1
member of the house of representatives who shall be the chair of the joint
committee on public health or a designee who shall serve as co-chair of the
commission; 1 member of the senate who shall be chair of the joint committee on
transportation or a designee; 1 member of the house of representatives who
shall be chair of the joint committee on education or a designee; the secretary
of the executive office of education or a designee; the undersecretary of the
office of consumer affairs and business regulation or a designee; the secretary
of health and human services or a designee; and the secretary of transportation
or a designee;
(b) The commission shall convene its first meeting on or before January 1, 2016
and shall submit its final report, along with any recommendations for
legislative reforms no later than January 1, 2017, to be filed with the clerks of
the senate and the house of representatives who shall forward a copy of the
report to the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on economic
development and emerging technologies, the joint committee on public health,
and the joint committee on education.
(c) The commission shall be dissolved within 180 days after the submission of
the final commission report pursuant to subsection (b).
SECTION 1. (a) Notwithstanding any general
or special law to the contrary, a special commission is hereby established to
conduct a comprehensive study relative to the practical, economic, fiscal, and
health related impacts of changing the Massachusetts time zone from the eastern
time zone to the atlantic standard time zone. Said study shall focus on the
impact to local and regional economies, public education, public health,
transportation, energy consumption, commerce and trade if the time zone is
altered. The commission shall report on its findings and make recommendations
to the general court on whether it would be beneficial for the commonwealth to
enter into the atlantic standard time zone.
The commission shall consist of 8 members: 1 member of the senate who shall be
the chair of the joint committee on economic development and emerging
technologies or a designee who shall serve as co-chair of the commission; 1
member of the house of representatives who shall be the chair of the joint
committee on public health or a designee who shall serve as co-chair of the
commission; 1 member of the senate who shall be chair of the joint committee on
transportation or a designee; 1 member of the house of representatives who
shall be chair of the joint committee on education or a designee; the secretary
of the executive office of education or a designee; the undersecretary of the
office of consumer affairs and business regulation or a designee; the secretary
of health and human services or a designee; and the secretary of transportation
or a designee;
(b) The commission shall convene its first meeting on or before January 1, 2016
and shall submit its final report, along with any recommendations for
legislative reforms no later than January 1, 2017, to be filed with the clerks
of the senate and the house of representatives who shall forward a copy of the
report to the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on economic
development and emerging technologies, the joint committee on public health,
and the joint committee on education.
(c) The commission shall be dissolved within 180 days after the submission of
the final commission report pursuant to subsection (b).
