Road Warrior Newsletter
 


December 18, 2009

GREETINGS AND SAL-UTATIONS!

Dear NJGCA Member: 

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKAH & A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

This will be the last Road Warrior for 2009.  I will write again on January 7.

While I wish that my call for a Prosperous New Year would mean that every member would see exponential gains in business during the coming year, I also understand that our national economy is not predicted to gain much momentum in 2010.

I am sure that if every year at this time you take a few minutes to reflect upon all that has transpired in your business, and with your family, and in our country, you will always be able to say “this has been an incredible year.”  You will always wonder how or why certain things may have occurred and you may ponder what you could or should have done differently.  Certainly this time of year prompts reflection, but it should also inspire anticipation.

We all anticipate the New Year with a mix of hope and maybe some trepidation.  I wish for you to focus on HOPE.  There has never been a time when small business owners have had the luxury of removing worry and consternation about their business and economic conditions.  However, the one thing that separates you from others is that you continually face difficulties, and you continually overcome adversity.  The year 2010 will be no different.  I am confidant that you will endure, and that you will do whatever you have to do to provide for your families.

I truly do wish you a Blessed Christmas, a Happy Hanukah, and a wonderful celebration that embodies the traditions of your family during this season.  Take the time to realize that what makes our country so great is the ability for us to celebrate or not to celebrate whatever tradition we see fit at this time of year.  Take care of yourselves and enjoy this season, but on January 2, 2010 be ready to get back to work, because we have an aggressive agenda through January. We still have to get an important piece of unfinished business completed before January 12th. 

Rest up over the holiday, because I will need your help to accomplish our mission to pass Right to Repair.  We have a new Governor and a new Legislature taking over and I want to show them that we are a force that deserves to be listened to.

May God Bless you and your families in this Joyous Season.  Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah! And especially....Happy New Year!

Thanks for listening - See you January 7th!

Regards,
Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

 IN THIS WEEK’S NJGCA ROAD WARRIOR                                    

POLITICAL PARTICIPATON: THE NJGCA PAC
•Participate in the NJGCA PAC today and help us keep our Agenda rolling in Trenton!


BUSINESS TOOLS: AMERICAN EQUIPMENT FINANCE (AEF), LLC
•We can provide you with financing from $15,000 to $500,000 - SAVE WITH AEF!

NEWS AROUND THE STATE
•Industry leaders to Christie: Improve business climate
•State unemployment rate holds at 9.7 percent
NJGCA in the News: Risalvato talks station sales
•Governor-Elect seeks to cut budget at all levels of government



 ON THE NJGCA HOMEPAGE                                                           

MEMBER SAVINGS PAGE
Check out all of our MBPs and Programs designed to SAVE YOU MONEY!

HELPFUL LINKS
Looking for something? Take a look at our list of useful links!

NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
Find all our communications and search for old e-newsletters. Take a look!

NEWS AROUND THE STATE ARCHIVE
Need to catch up on events?  Want to see what's going on?  Find out here!

 KNOW YOUR TERRITORY MANAGER!                                           

Henry Darden: Territory Manager for Middlesex, Union, Part of Essex (Southern Half)

Cell: 908-247-2992
Email: henry@njgca.org

Jack Leli: Territory Manager for Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, Salem
Cell: 732-995-1637
Email: jack@njgca.org

Bob Quirk: Territory Manager for Bergen, Hudson, Part of Essex (Northern Half)
Cell: 201-214-8836
E-mail: bob@njgca.org

Frank Stewart: Territory Manager for Morris, Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, Passaic
Cell: 973-234-7403
Email: frank@njgca.org
 
Don Stohrer: Territory Manager for Monmouth, Mercer, Somerset

Cell: 732-539-2955
Email: don@njgca.org


POLITICAL PARTICIPATON: THE NJGCA PAC


Ensuring our friends in the legislature are re-elected and advocating for our agenda in Trenton are of utmost importance to the agenda of NJGCA.

It is for this reason that your Association has established the NJGCA PAC.

For too long, the weight of funding our Political Action Committee, the arm of the Association responsible for political donations, has rested upon the shoulders of a few.  This is not fair to them, and it is not fair to many of you who are relying on the benefits of good legislation being passed in Trenton.

To truly understand the importance of fundraising for our allies, let’s look back upon the overwhelming successes of the last year:

NJGCA successfully lobbied against BELOW COST SELLING. If approved, BELOW COST SELLING would have cost each of you thousands of dollars and put many of you out of businesses.  NJGCA leaned on some of our friends in the Assembly and literally had the bill pulled off the floor on the day it was scheduled to be voted on.  Our friends in the Legislature helped us get this accomplished.

NJGCA made history and led the charge to pass the most comprehensive protection of franchisees in decades with FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL legislation.  FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL passed only because NJGCA and dealers throughout the state were able to lean on several friends in the Assembly and the Senate.

NJGCA has been rallying support for RIGHT TO REPAIR over the last two years among key legislators.  This would end the practice of car manufacturers denying you the codes necessary to complete the repairs you make on your customers cars.  Every state has tried to pass RIGHT TO REPAIR and no state has even been able to get the legislation out of committee.   Because of our friends in the Legislature, NJGCA has been successful in getting this bill passed by the Assembly and now awaits a vote in the Senate.

I am asking some of you as individuals to make a contribution and attend a fundraising event sponsored by one of our friends in the Assembly.

However, we will not be able to host events for all of our friends, so the NJGCA PAC will have to make contributions.  You will be receiving letters soon from the NJGCA PAC asking you to make contributions. 

If every member contributes just $100.00 we will be able to provide the help necessary to ensure victory for our allies.

PLEASE SEND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO:
NJGCA PAC
66 Morris Avenue
Springfield, NJ 07081
Please make your donation payable to NJGCA PAC

I understand that times are tough for all NJGCA members, but this is just as important as any battle we have fought in the past.

We have made great progress in Trenton.  I hope that you will answer the call.



AMERICAN EQUIPMENT FINANCE (AEF), LLC

AEF will work with you to finance used and new equipment for your Gas Station, C-Store & Car Wash. 

We can provide you with financing from $15,000 to $500,000. AEF has flexible terms from 12-84 months. AEF can assist you in the following areas: Underground Tanks-Construction-Excavation-Installation, Dispensers/Pumps, Canopies, CardSystems, Vapor Recovery Systems, Coffee Machines, Showcases Refrigeration, Signage, POS Systems, Tunnels, Vacuums, Water Systems, Polishing–In-Bay, and Self Serve.

American Equipment Finance will save your business time, money and taxes.

Our finance associates can help you select the right lease or finance structure for your company’s needs. Credit decisions are usually provided in 24 hours.

NJGCA Members ONLY discounts applied.

Contact Len Baccaro at (908) 542-9330 or email him at www.aefllc.com 


NEWS AROUND THE STATE

12/16/2009:
Industry leaders to Christie: Improve business climate
As the national economy slowly recovers, industry analysts believe that the Garden State will lag behind the rest of the nation if out of control government spending and reform the business climate aren’t addressed.  Business leaders who participated in the forum point to the loss of 94,000 private sector jobs – and the increase of 68,000 government jobs – as an indicator of how poorly mismanaged the state’s situation has become over the last decade. 

12/16/2009:
State unemployment rate holds at 9.7 percent
Though the private sector shed 11,000 jobs, the unemployment rate in New Jersey stayed stagnant at 9.7 percent through November, as retailers hired fewer people than normal during the holiday season.

12/15/2009:
NJGCA in the News: Risalvato talks station sales
As station owners throughout the nation are fuming as Big Oil sells off their location to third party distributors, Executive Director Sal Risalvato highlights the passage of First Right of Refusal as a means to prevent station owners from losing their livelihood.  Please click on the link about to read about how NJGCA and retailers are trying to stop their locations from being bought by mega distributors. 

12/15/2009:
Governor-Elect seeks to cut budget at all levels of government
Chris Christie wants to use new ideas that were proposed during the 2006 special legislative session to help cut spending at all levels of government.  As a means of driving down local property taxes, Christie said he wants to close the loops holes in the current municipal budget caps and reform binding arbitration rules to stick to the cap in employee contract negotiations. If reforms are not enacted, he will call for a constitutional convention to reform the current tax structure. 


CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES IN OUR “NEWS AROUND THE STATE” ARCHIVE
   

 
 
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