didn't want to disclose where he lived. "Too many bitter types out there might threaten me if they knew where I lived."
West had done extensive research into the correlation between travel and divorce. "A couple where only one partner travels frequently for work has a 64 percent chance of divorce," West explained. "The decision to include a cap on partner travel as part of the mandatory minimum partner requirements therefore reflected the best scientific knowledge available at the time."
And what of the allegations that members of Congress, lobbied by major tech companies, had pressured the panel to adopt the less-travel requirement in order to generate more sales of telecommuting equipment?
"There's no truth at all to those allegations. We did consult with members of Congress and brief them on our work. They expressed their opinions to us, but we would never have put the requirement in if it was not scientifically supported."
Scientifically supported or not, the less travel requirement took a toll. Many couples broke up because one partner could not reduce his travel and, therefore, could not satisfy the partner mandate. Others quit their job to fulfill the mandate, but went stir-crazy in less stressful work, leading to still more break-ups.
Jim Leonard, the White House cameraman, was one person who could not satisfy the mandate. "I had to work hard to get this job. I started out in this business as a boom-mike operator at a crappy infomercial studio. You know the one where there's a lady in black-and-white who can't break an egg without stabbing herself until she gets the Easy-Break 2020®? I was the one who held the microphone over her head. But I did my job, did it well, and ended