NEWS

FOR RELEASE: On Receipt

April 22, 2008

Speaks on Earth Day 2008

MARSHALL VOWS TO SEEK TELECOMMUTE UPGRADE, SAVE GAS, CUT TRAFFIC

Candidate for GOP Senate Nomination Says Increasing Program Would Give Workers More Time with Families

Del. Bob Marshall pledged Tuesday (April 22) that, if elected to the U.S. Senate, he will seek ways to compel the federal government to permit more of its civilian employees to work from their homes or telecommuting centers, saving gasoline used to drive to and from their jobs.

“With rising gasoline prices forcing families to adjust food budgets and take other ‘belt tightening’ measures, it’s time we put teeth into federal telework laws by allowing more federal workers to telecommute,” Marshall (R., Manassas), a candidate for the GOP Senate nomination, said in Earth Day 2008 remarks prepared for a meeting of the Frederick County Republican Committee.

The GOP meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Best Western Lee-Jackson, 711 Millwood Ave., Winchester. Earth Day, an annual observance centered on conservation and improving the environment, is being observed Tuesday with events around the world.

Telecommuting also would benefit private employees and employers, Marshall said, saving office and parking space, improving productivity, and decreasing carbon emissions from vehicle exhaust.

“It’s time we stopped procrastinating and bring about a full transition to the Information Age, increasing efficiency and providing workers with more time with their families,” Marshall said.

Marshall vowed to join Rep. Frank Wolf (R., Va.), Sen. Ted Stevens (R., Alaska) and other members of Congress in a renewed drive to force federal agencies to greatly increase the proportion of their employees who work from home at or nearby office centers.

“I will push to enact tax credits for private-sector employers who allow employees to work from home, urging them to follow this practice at least one day a week,” Marshall said. “This will contribute to a healthier environment and less traffic congestion on our highways. In the long run, this will save tax dollars now being used for transportation. It would translate into a 20-per cent reduction in fuel costs and take many cars off the roads, lessening commute time, saving gasoline, and helping the environment.’

Marshall noted that the technology has been in place for many years, including on the Internet, “to transport ‘brains’ to jobs without physical commuting.” Telecommuting was used successfully, he said, during extended emergencies caused by the huge1989 earthquake in San Francisco and the 1995 bombing of the Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City.

Persons wishing to learn more about telecommuting can contact a federal telework coordinator at http://www.telework.gov on the Internet.

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NEWS CONTACT: Bill Kling, 804-580-4050 (phone), 804-761-4430 (cell), kling@usa.net

Marshall for Senate, Inc., Post Office Box 458, Manassas, Virginia 20108 ● bobmarshall2008.com