Hoosiers Ate My Brain

More on the Time Issue

The IndyStar has been all DST all the time in the past couple of days with a major editorial backing it yesterday and at least one columnist covering it. Columnist Ruth Holladay, who I normally think is pretty lame, tries to pin it all on the historical fact that Hoosiers need something to fight about and this is it. She says the debate over the years has split families apart. Oh, geez, give me a break. OU/OSU football -- now that has split families apart. But daylight savings time? I don't get it. As a non-native Indiana resident it just looks ridiculous to me. But I suppose, and hell, I agree, that an Oklahoma statewide blood feud over, say, football, is just as ridiculous. (That said, I can't help but react with distaste and distrust each time I meet someone who went to or is a major supporter of the University of Oklahoma.) Either way, the possible time change is still getting major coverage with just as much misinformation as not.

I looked at the roll call vote yesterday and compared it to the caucus lists. 13 Rs and 13 Ds each defected to vote for the other side. What irritated me most, though, was the hard party line most of Indianapolis' representatives took even after polls conducted using Marion and Hamilton County data have shown urban and suburban residents overwhelmingly in favor of the switch. My local rep, Greg Porter seems much more interested in kissing up to his own party's leadership in his role as chair of the Indiana Black Legislator's Caucus. More interested than, say, actually voting to improve the quality of life of his consituency. Porter's district is one of the many downtown Indianapolis districts moving from a traditionally low income black population to a more white, affluent group of voters. Fall Creek Place has done wonders for this part of the city, but practically overnight it's moved an entire demographic out and a few new ones in.

So, will this vote have implications during the next election? Probably. It appears that where blood feuds are concerned, Hoosiers have long memories. But do we have bigger fish to fry? Yes. So let's get to it.

posted by braingirl @ 7:03 AM