September 26, 2008

GREETINGS AND SAL-UTATIONS!

Dear NJGCA Member:

ARGUING FOR CHANGE, REACHING LEGISLATORS

At the beginning of this year, I outlined an aggressive strategy to bring our message to lawmakers in Trenton.  Chris Stark, our Government Affairs Assistant, and I have been crisscrossing the state to meet with Legislators and get them to hear our thoughts on issues like Right to Repair, Zone Pricing, the “24 hour” rule, and the Smart Container Act.

The overall reception has been generally positive and lawmakers are responding well to our arguments.

One issue that we have dedicated a great deal of time toward is Zone Pricing.  It has become a serious issue among our members and is undermining their ability to compete for customers.  We have pressed Legislators and asked them to consider the situation many independent retailers find themselves in when they are manipulated by Big Oil.  Zone Pricing truly serves neither small businesses nor consumers.

The good news is that we are making progress on this issue as we gain wider support among power-brokers in Trenton.

Unfortunately, the bad news is that we have been tripped up occasionally by an unlikely source: YOU!

I have stated many times before that the only way to combat what ails us is to band together.  Big Oil has hundreds of staffers and attorneys who will look to squash individual resistance, but we have strength in numbers.  There is nothing small business owners cannot achieve if we all participate!

However, there has been laziness among some members who agreed to participate in our Zone Pricing Study.  This meant submitting daily pricing sheets so that we could track the situation in your area.  Sadly, some members began the process strongly, but could not be bothered to submit their paperwork after awhile.  Remember, when we visit legislators, they want to see evidence to verify our arguments.  Losing a source does not help us make our case to state officials - we cannot do that without your help!

If you are currently participating in the study, please do not forget that what you give us only helps you in the end!

Our quest against the Attorney General continues.  This week NJGCA sent letters to all the stations cited on the A.G.’s list of 350 ‘violators’.  If you or any other retailer appeared on the list, we need to speak to you!  We need to obtain copies of the paperwork you received from Weights & Measures at the time you were cited, and we need your general contact information.  Please call us if you are on the Attorney General’s list!

As I’m sure you’ve all noticed, the market has been quite interesting of late as the Government continues to toy with the idea of a bailout.  Nevertheless, both crude oil and gasoline prices are down because consumption is down.  If this scenario continues, we expect prices to trend downward.  MAINTAIN YOUR MARGINS!

Next week I will be heading south to attend the Washington, Maryland, Delaware Service Station and Automotive Repair Association (WMDA)’ 35th Annual Convention & Mega Show in Ocean City.  A special meeting will take place regarding the Exxon divestiture.  All NJGCA members are invited to attend.  Details are below.

Thanks for reading.  See you next week!

Regards,
Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

IN THIS WEEK’S NJGCA ROAD WARRIOR:

UPCOMING EVENTS

•WMDA Annual Convention & Mega Show

NEWS AROUND THE STATE

•Post Hurricanes, jobless claims hit new high
•Last two public hearings on Toll-Hike plan held
•Corzine warns against haste in solving Wall Street woes
•Opinion: Governor’s tunnel proposal in trouble


UPCOMING EVENTS

SEE OUR UPDATED CALENDAR FOR ALL COMING NJGCA EVENTS. CLICK HERE

WMDA 35TH ANNUAL COVENTION & MEGA SHOW

The Washington, Maryland, Delaware Service Station and Automotive Repair Association (WMDA) is hosting the 35th Annual Convention & Mega Show in Ocean City, Maryland.  The convention will take place over three days at the Ocean City Convention Center, staring on October 2nd thru October 4th.

The show is tailored for service stations, convenience stores, repair shops, car washes, tire dealers, jobbers, co-branded stations, and auto parts stores.

All owners, managers, technicians, and others are welcome.

The show will feature:
-Marketers from all over the automotive industry
-Informative seminars
-Live product demonstrations
-Opportunities to learn about the latest products and technologies

For more information visit: http://www.wmda.net/special.html

For schedules and registration visit: http://www.wmda.net/08MegaSched-Regis.pdf


NEWS AROUND THE STATE

9/25/2008:
Post Hurricanes, jobless claims hit new high
The national unemployment rate saw a significant jumped in the wake of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, reaching a seven year high.

9/24/2008:
Last two public hearings on Toll-Hike plan held
Transportation officials provided visual displays of rusted bridges and other needed infrastructure repairs as evidence to support a Toll-Hike during the last two open public hearings held this week.  If approved, the plan calls for tolls on the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike to double tolls by 2012. 

9/23/2008:
Corzine warns against haste in solving Wall Street woes
Governor Corzine warned officials in Washington to tread carefully as they race to pass a $700 billion bailout plan to address the Wall Street financial crisis.  The Governor called for adequate regulatory oversight to prevent any mismanagement of funds.

9/19/2008:
Opinion: Governor’s tunnel proposal in trouble
Star-Ledger columnist Paul Mulshine opines on the Corzine Administration’s desire to build a new tunnel from New Jersey to Manhattan and the legal obstacles which may prevent his current plan from succeeding.