Once again, the United States has suffered another "spring forward", and the thoughts of permanent Daylight Saving Time enters the consciousness of its citizens and representatives. It's a very popular opinion to hold, banishing the time change. For some reason, people glom onto permanent Daylight Savings Time instead of permanent Standard Time, like Arizona and Hawaii have done. I never understood that.
Opting out of Daylight Saving Time is allowed under federal law, so states can stick with Standard Time. If a representative really believes in permanent Daylight Saving Time, it can be emulated by adopting permanent Standard Time, and mandating state government offices open an hour earlier than they currently do. Problem solved, and it's implementable under current federal law.
The other question I wonder is if people understand the implications of non-shifting time zones. Let's take four examples from the Pacific Time Zone, from north to south:
| City | Earliest Sunrise | Latest Sunrise | Earliest Sunset | Latest Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, Washington | 4:11 AM PST 5:11 AM PDT | 7:57 AM PST 8:57 AM PDT | 4:17 PM PST 5:17 PM PDT | 8:11 PM PST 9:11 PM PDT |
| Portland, Oregon | 4:21 AM PST 5:21 AM PDT | 7:50 AM PST 8:50 AM PDT | 4:27 PM PST 5:27 PM PDT | 8:03 PM PST 9:03 PM PDT |
| San Francisco, California | 4:47 AM PST 5:47 AM PDT | 7:25 AM PST 8:25 AM PDT | 4:50 PM PST 5:50 PM PDT | 7:35 PM PST 8:35 PM PDT |
| San Diego, California | 4:40 AM PST 5:40 AM PDT | 6:51 AM PST 7:51 AM PDT | 4:41 PM PST 5:41 PM PDT | 7:00 PM PST 8:00 PM PDT |
If the West Coast of the United States stuck with Standard Time, the sun would rise in the four o'clock hour in the summers. Conversely, if the West Coast stuck with Daylight Saving Time, in the winter, the sun wouldn't rise until almost nine in the morning. Except in San Diego, because it's so far East.
So is not implementing a time switch twice a year preferred? I don't think you can ask someone from Arizona or Hawaii. Both states seem well situated for their time zones, with reasonable sunrise and sunset ranges. The time switch is certainly a painful adjustment, no matter if you're gaining or losing an hour.
