Can Rising Gas Prices Drive Parents Back To The Home

By Diane Stewart

Researchers would blame families of four or more who bought into the fun loving SUV craze as the reason America now has a higher demand for gasoline. I say several industries in America are to blame for this latest choke hold that government and corporations are placing on the American family's dollar. The Automobile Industry convinced American Families that SUVs were the way to be. They are roomier. They are safer on the roads because you are higher up, both attractive issues for Moms and Dads who have to drive in the same commute with Semi Trucks. The second industry to blame is the Oil Companies for shutting out alternative means of fuel after the gas shortages in the 70's did not teach them anything about how vulnerable we were as a country to the supply. And then I blame the government for taking so long to persuade the other two industries that we need more accommodating vehicles such as the hybrid cars.

I propose that we fight back against this gasoline injustice. Gas companies know that the average Californian worker is commuting 45 minutes or more to work. They know that public transportation is not efficient enough to supply or meet the needs and work schedules of the Californian employee. If I am elected I will fight to give a tax break to companies who reorganize their operations to allow for employees to be able to work from home three out of five days of the week. So much communication and work can now be done via the Internet that having employees occupy overpriced large office buildings are a waste of their resources.

There would be another tax break to a company if they can find a way to rent out multiple smaller offices in cities within a 20 miles radius of where their employees live instead of several floors of a building or one large office space. This way parents can be closer to home to get to their child's school if there is an emergency. So they can pick up their kids and get them to after school activities which might cut down on crimes against children. It would allow parents the ability to make it to the big game or recital. If the employee has a home office at the request of their employer then the employee will be able to have a write off on their taxes.

This will also reduce the parent's cost of day care or after school care. There should be another tax break to companies who find a way to collaborate with each another to rent out the empty shops at strip malls where their employees would work from and one or two of the shops would be designated as the after school facility the parents could bring their kids to until the work day is done. A plan such as this could cut down on the high price of worker's compensation insurance companies have to carry if the employee is working from home.

Husbands and wives working in the same area would be able to spend lunch time together. Families will be able to sit down to dinner together because parents will not have such long commutes. Employees will be more refreshed without the long commutes because they can get home and spend more time relaxing and resting.