Maryland Daily Record

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="064285a1erlcgo.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Telework Coalition</B></FONT><B>    </B></div> <div> <B>Enabling Virtual, Mobile, and Distributed Work through Education, Technology, and Legislation</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="063d2c00dkelyh.png"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Telework Coalition"><U>Home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id296.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Membership Sponsorship Opportunities"><U>Membership & Sponsorship Opportunities</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id208.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Sponsors"><U>Our Sponsors</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id270.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TelCoa in the News"><U>"TelCoa in the News"</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Calendar"><U>Calendar</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id282.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TelCoa / ACP Event"><U>TelCoa / ACP Event</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact Us</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id259.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Strategic Alliances"><U>Strategic Alliances</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id278.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Business Continuity Planning (COOP)"><U>Business Continuity Planning (COOP)</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id294.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Avian Flu and Pandemic Information and A"><U>Avian Flu and Pandemic Information and Articles</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id156.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Virtual Call Center Sponsors"><U>Virtual Call Center Sponsors</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id157.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Virtual Call Centers "><U>Virtual Call Centers </U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Board of Directors and Advisory Board"><U>Board of Directors and Advisory Board</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id158.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act "><U>The Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act </U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id223.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TelCoa Awards"><U>TelCoa Awards</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Vision and Mission"><U>Our Vision and Mission</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Telework in the News"><U>Telework in the News</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Federal, State, Regional News, Legislat"><U>Federal, State, & Regional News, Legislation, and Programs</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id263.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Telework Tools "><U>Telework Tools </U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Telework Facts "><U>Telework Facts </U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id42.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="You Should Know"><U>You Should Know</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id43.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Broadband"><U>Broadband</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Environmental Information and Fact Sheet"><U>Environmental Information and Fact Sheet</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id90.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Health, Safety Telework"><U>Health, Safety & Telework</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id105.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Telework Jobs and Opportunities"><U>Telework Jobs and Opportunities</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id337.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Other Jobs"><U>Other Jobs</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contributing Partners"><U>Contributing Partners</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id41.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Related Links "><U>Related Links </U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Reference"><U>Reference</U></A></div> <bR> <div>  </div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Maryland Daily Record</I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Sen. to state workers: stay home</B></div> <bR> <div> December 5, 2005 </div> <div> <I>By DORI BERMAN,</I></div> <div> <I>Daily Record Business Writer</I> </div> <bR> <div> For the fourth time in as many years, state Sen. Robert Garagiola will </div> <div> attempt to promote telecommuting among the state government’s work </div> <div> force. </div> <bR> <div> A prefiled bill for the 2006 session would require Maryland government </div> <div> agencies to gradually increase the number of workers given the option </div> <div> to telework. The Montgomery County Democrat said his repeated support </div> <div> for increased telecommuting is consistent with his overall support of </div> <div> transportation issues. </div> <bR> <div> “This to me is kind of the third component of dealing with our transportation </div> <div> issues, because it’s kind of a crisis in the Washington area,” Garagiola said. </div> <div> The senator has also supported moving forward with the Inter-County Connector </div> <div> and securing federal funding for the Corridor Cities Transitway, which would </div> <div> extend the Washington Metro’s Red Line toward Frederick. </div> <bR> <div> In past years, Garagiola has sponsored similar legislation, along with a separate </div> <div> bill to create a private-sector income tax subtraction for companies that allow </div> <div> more people to work from home. The bills have died each time, although in 2004 </div> <div> the tax credit bill, which was cross-filed in the House of Delegates, passed the </div> <div> House unanimously before dying in the Senate. </div> <bR> <div> This year, Garagiola said, he will only introduce a bill associated with state </div> <div> employees, in the hopes of setting an example for the private sector. </div> <div> “There are certainly businesses out there that are doing this very aggressively </div> <div> and are successful. But most businesses, I think, are still a little reserved in </div> <div> wanting to go in that direction. It’s not what they’re used to,” he said. “We’ve </div> <div> just got to break the barrier, and I think people will find it’s better for the bottom </div> <div> line.” </div> <bR> <div> In addition to relieving congestion, having fewer commuters on the roads would </div> <div> reap obvious environmental benefits, a point that dovetails with Garagiola’s consistent </div> <div> support for cleaner energy sources. Today he will join several environmental groups </div> <div> at an event in Baltimore to roll out another legislative initiative that promotes solar </div> <div> power, energy efficiency and cleaner power plants. </div> <bR> <div> Meanwhile, advocates for telecommuting point to other benefits, including an increase </div> <div> in productivity and morale. And having workers spend less time in the office translates </div> <div> to lower operating costs. </div> <bR> <div> Chuck Wilsker, president and CEO of the Washington-based Telework Coalition, said </div> <div> many states have begun to look at policy measures to increase teleworking. In crisis </div> <div> situations involving natural disasters or public health issues, having telecommuters </div> <div> on board will aid business continuity, Wilsker said. </div> <bR> <div> And working from home helps employees cut down on gasoline costs, a point made </div> <div> frequently following the recent gas price increases. </div> <bR> <div> “If you want to save 40 percent of your consumption and cost, leave your car parked in </div> <div> front of your house two days a week,” Wilsker said. </div> <bR> <div> But while Wilsker believes the recent price spike raised awareness of commuting </div> <div> alternatives, Garagiola said he believes the spike was too brief to influence the </div> <div> fate of his legislation. </div> <bR> <div> That’s why he has made the 2006 proposal more modest than in years past. Previous </div> <div> versions of the program would have given state agencies five years to offer all eligible </div> <div> employees the opportunity to telecommute. The current proposal would ask agencies </div> <div> to offer the option to 25 percent of eligible employees by 2011. </div> <bR> <div> “Based on what I've seen in other states, I think the state is going to find that it’s saving</div> <div> dollars because of the need for less office space. I think you’re going to see employee </div> <div> morale go up,” he said. “And from that, my hope is that after five years the state is going </div> <div> to see that this makes a lot of sense.” </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>