We’ve been following the saga of New York City’s “congestion fee” plan, an $8 fee that would apply to the nearly 1 million cars that enter Manhattan everyday.

As we noted in a previous post, this kind of solution, while well-meaning, can only have a limited impact on the problem of overcrowded streets. That’s why we were very pleased to see this opinion piece in Newsday. Allowing people to come in at different times would help stagger traffic and avoid what the author calls “crush hour”.

But why not take that idea farther? The problem with flextime and other traditional alternatives to the daily grind is that they are based on management giving employees permission to act outside work norms. But as we wrote a month ago, traditional alternatives to work end up being a game of “Mother, May I?” that employees can lose at any time.

There is no reason why New Yorkers (who, last time we checked, had access to cell phones and laptops) couldn’t choose how, when and where they worked. Frankly, given how rich and complete the typical New York neighborhood is, there is no reason why people couldn’t work and live in their communities. And while it might seem silly to live in the Greatest City in the World only to work virtually, it actually makes a strange kind of sense. You’d end up taking part in the aspects of the city you enjoyed most, without giving over so much of yourself to the rat race.

Unless, that is, people like the rat race? Don’t tell us you honestly like the rat race . . . .

Check out these reader responses to a question asked by the Toronto Star about whether or not the government should determine whether or not stores should be open on statutory (or legal) holidays. There is an interesting tension here between people who want the government to step in and keep stores closed (for the greater good) and those who want to leave it up to businesses to decide for themselves.

We think this is a discussion worth having. Granted, the 24/7, global economy has made day-to-day life more challenging. Is the answer a top-down solution? Do we need government or company policies that protect us from our overcharged lives? Or do we need a grassroots solution, where people are given more power and control to find their own path?

We know where we stand on this issue. How about you?