March 18, 2005

I would like to bring to your attention the Commuter Reimbursement Account that I recently came across (http://www.myshps.net/cra.stm online). I have asked Human Resources (HR) about providing the Laboratory with this service to no avail.

We have a successful medical reimbursement account and, I believe, that offering the same program for commuters would offer many benefits to the employees, the Laboratory and the community. By offering the Commuter Reimbursement Account (CRA), many of us would have one more incentive to use available public transportation. In addition to supporting this public transportation system, the CRA would provide personal tax savings to the employees; reduce the number of one-passenger vehicles on our roads; reduce emissions; and reduce load on the public roads, among many others.

Looking at this from a national point of view, by implementing CRA, we can help reduce our national oil consumption and dependence on imported oil.

--A. Sharif Heger