Telecommunications is one of the most important environmentally convivial technologies and should be exploited to the utmost since energy and time intensive travel is not necessary to get a huge amount of things done.

The new age of electronic communications is a prime example of energy and environmentally conservative behavior with immediate benefit and convenience and minimal to no deprivation.

Elimination of cars from the world's cities is similar behavior.

Telecommunications requires little or no travel. Since everything is so close in cities, minimal travel is all that is required which is easily and conveniently achieved by human power or electric powering at human scale.

As things stand now, New York State penalizes nonresidents who work for New York companies and sometimes telecommute. Specifically, it taxes them, not only on the income they earn when they travel to New York, but also on the income they earn when they work from home, outside New York - despite the fact that their home states can tax the same income. The double tax threat for telecommuting deters this driving alternative.

Because telework takes cars off the road and riders off mass transit - and because it reduces the need to heat, cool and illuminate commercial offices - it is a vital tool for saving energy and reducing carbon emissions.

For New York City to be the environmental leader Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Sadik-Khan rightly want it to be, it must be a place people can reach via the Web instead of by car, bus or train. The Mayor must, therefore, prevail upon Governor Spitzer to have his administration repeal the telecommuter tax.