Also in the News: Virtual travel for San Jose employees?

A city councilman in San Jose, Calif., hopes to cut the city's $1.3 million budget deficit by substituting virtual travel for the real thing, the San Jose Mercury News reports. Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio has proposed amending the city's travel policy to require city employees to explore whether Internet teleconferencing could be substituted for in-person meetings.

"Millions of dollars on travel seems to be high for a city suffering a deficit," said Oliverio, whose proposal will be considered Oct. 1 by an agenda-setting committee chaired by Mayor Chuck Reed. "Using technology will not only save the city money, it will also help our environment."