A Stitch In Time Saves Nothing

Congress is putting a little more sunshine in your life, but not everybody's happy.

Senate and House lawmakers agreed this week to extend daylight-saving time by four weeks to help the nation conserve energy.

The provision, in a bill setting a national energy policy that Congress plans to complete next week, would begin daylight-saving time three weeks earlier — the second Sunday in March — and end it the first Sunday in November, a week later than previously.

The dates would go into effect in 2007.

"The bottom line for everyone is that we will at least save 100,000 barrels of oil for every day that we extend daylight saving time," said Rep. Fred Upton (R-Michigan).

How, exactly, will this plan save oil? Or daylight for that matter?

So the sun comes up an hour later and stays up an hour later for an extra four weeks… Where exactly do we save?

The majority of Americans will still have to be at work by 9am, and the majority will still get off work at 5pm. They still have to drive to and from work. Where exactly will they be saving the oil? Or the daylight for that matter?

The majority of Americans will still heat (or cool) their homes the same way they do when "Daylight Savings Time" is not in effect. They still have to keep their homes comfortable to live in. Where exactly will they be saving the oil? Or the daylight for that matter?

Is there really a need for this?

Children will have more daylight on Halloween (while they trick-or-treat) which will make them safer for that one night a year. But they will also be forced to head off to school in the dark for an extra month each year. What a nice trade-off.

How thoughtful of our legislators to think of our children.

Personally, I get sick and tired of setting all the clocks in my house ahead in the spring and back in the fall. Either the sun comes up too early, or too late, and it sets too late, or too early. It happens year round. Big whoop! What does observing "Daylight Savings Time" actually accomplish?

I keep hearing that "Daylight Savings Time" saves oil, yet no one really tells us how it is supposed to save oil.

I keep hearing the term "Daylight Savings Time" and I can't help but think, "Exactly how much time have we saved?" I have been falling behind lately and I could really use an extra hour here and there. Is it possible to make a withdrawal? Or is the account running on empty much like Social Security? I wouldn't be surprised.

I really don't see the point of "Daylight Savings Time". I really don't. Unless of course it's our government's secret agenda to guarantee that millions of Americans know how to set their clocks, and again, I wouldn't be surprised.