In the Agora: Daylight Spending Time

April 17, 2006

Daylight Spending Time

The Indianapolis Star has a piece today touting the economic benefits of DST. Colour me unimpressed. I hope no one in the Daniels Administration tries to hang their hat on this paltry evidence: increased sales of ice cream, Big Macs, and beer; and more golf, tennis, and softball. And the article notes that this 'new' daylight spending might simply be a transfer from nighttime spending, like movie theatres (especially drive-ins). Even if consumer spending at the mall could comprise a significant impact on the State's economy, aren't these the kind of luxury items that inhibit saving? I'm more heartened by the news of increased business at home improvement stores, as this type of spending increases home equity -- but wait! Might this also simply be a transfer:

"Without daylight-saving time, all those projects are going to have to be put off until the weekend, "said Yancey Casey, regional spokesman for Home Depot. "Now you get off work, stop by the store, come home and still have a good hour or two to work."

So is the total spending on home improvement increasing, or is shopping merely shifted to the weekdays?

The article also makes a passing reference to Kentucky shoppers who can now come to Indiana without having to make the challenging mental calculation of adding or subtracting 1 (I know, Kentuckians probably do struggle with this). Would this ambiguous benefit outweigh the number of western Hoosiers who slip across the Illinois border to do their shopping?

I think the Star made a mistake in pursuing this story. There's not much to report, at least not much of substance, and certainly nothing that (so far) justifies Gov. Daniels' enormous investment of political capital in an unpopular policy. Perhaps we'll have some more convincing numbers in the future; I just hope they are reported with greater accuracy than the Department of Workforce Development has been able to muster with jobs numbers.

The one silver lining for Mitch is that if increased consumer spending makes people happier, he may salvage his flagging public approval:

On a balmy evening last week, Angela Pastor got a great taste of DST, sitting outside at the Front Page on Massachusetts Avenue Downtown.
. . . By 8 p.m., the sun was still shining down on her.

"I though, I could get used to this," she said.

Posted by Zach Wendling at April 17, 2006 12:05 PM

Comments

Man, you guys spend a tremendous amount of time fighting a subject that the rest of America manages quite well.

Indiana, 1883 is calling. They want you to catch up.

Posted by: george at April 17, 2006 12:09 PM | permalink

might simply be a transfer from nighttime spending, like movie theatres (especially drive-ins)

Good point. Hadn't thought of that one, but DST is going to be a bane for the few remaining drive-in movie theaters in Indiana. Which is a shame, because I think drive-ins are pretty cool.

Also, when are this year's July 4 fireworks displays going to start--10 PM?

Posted by: Eric Seymour at April 17, 2006 12:23 PM | permalink

Last year's started at 10pm in NYC. Who cares? Do we run the economy based on fireworks one day a year? DST reduces traffic after work and also increases outdoor activities (good for health)... most importantly it saves energy, something we surely all agree on.

Posted by: Angel at April 17, 2006 02:41 PM | permalink

most importantly it saves energy, something we surely all agree on

Maybe during WW2, but whatever enegery is saved due to less light being used, is probably spent by air conditioners running an extra hour in the evening.

Posted by: Foltz at April 17, 2006 04:07 PM | permalink

How in the world does DST reduce traffic after work? And how about it causing more accidents and congestion in the morning?

George, what you fail to understand is that Indiana does not need DST. Perhaps the East Coast does. Indiana was not being backward when it refused to comply to DST; she was being practical, something she does quite well. Until now.

Posted by: alex at April 18, 2006 12:06 PM | permalink

April 17, 2006

Daylight Spending Time

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