September 27, 2013

Dear NJGCA Member:

Thank you for reading this week's NJGCA Road Warrior!

As you all know, two weeks ago NJGCA was confronted with the possibility of Teaneck passing a generator mandate. We dropped everything and spent most of the day reaching out to the Town Council and the Mayor to encourage them to table discussion on the ordinance. This week, we had the opportunity to meet with the Mayor to further discuss our concerns. The Mayor agreed to keep the ordinance off the Council agenda until we could provide him with additional information. In the midst of all this excitement, the press and the media became very interested in this story.

I conducted two on-camera interviews and NJGCA sent out a press release. I take very seriously my responsibility to continually educate the media, the public, and the state and local lawmakers about the issues that my members face. We wanted the governing body in Teaneck to understand that we recognize their good intentions and applaud their actions -- but it is equally important for them to be presented with all of the facts, especially if the facts keep our members from being harmed. In the end, when all of the facts are considered, they will surely recognize, just like the state legislature has recognized, that it just does not make sense to mandate generators in gas stations. I need to remind you that the only way I can take action when a municipal government tries to act on something silly is if I am alerted in time BEFORE the mayor and council pass an ordinance. It is up to you to alert me if something is up in your town!

Additionally, you should all remember that I've written about the Membership Fairness Doctrine and the Freeloader Syndrome with some frequency recently. And here's why -- there are about 10 gas stations in Teaneck and only ONE is a member of NJGCA. The other nine of them are freeloaders. I want to be really clear that if there wasn't a member in Teaneck, the effort that I have made to put a coalition together to fight this ordinance would never have been made. If we're successful in this effort, we will have saved each location a minimum of $20,000. That's certainly worth the $450 yearly membership.

Thinking about selling gas below $3.00 per gallon? DON'T DO IT. For several weeks I have been discussing the marketplace (which I usually don't do from week to week) however, what we are seeing in the marketplace right now is exactly what I told you over a month ago would happen. Wholesale prices are dropping -- it is possible to sell gasoline below $3.00/gallon. DON'T DO IT. Every single one of you should be taking advantage of the marketplace right now and holding onto as much profit margin as possible. You will need it!! In January and February, prices will start going up just as much as they are coming down right now and your customers are going to forget that you dropped your prices. Instead, they will be screaming at your for raising your prices. Grab this margin now. Don't drop your price. Don't get caught up in a race to the bottom.

For the past several years I have mentioned the dilemma that LUKOIL dealers have been facing. Unlike many of you, who have been able to move to a contract supply agreement with a supplier, LUKOIL dealers are still stuck in a Dealer Tank Wagon (DTW) situation. As a result, the whole-sale price that they pay is considerably higher and makes them uncompetitive in the market. In the past five years, it is not unusual to find a LUKOIL location that has lost 50% or more of their volume. I have been in discussions with LUKOIL executives -- LUKOIL North America CEO Robert Ferluga came in from Moscow to speak with me on Monday. I have received assurances that they will begin to be more competitive on October 1, 2013. We will be monitoring LUKOIL dealers' DTW and will continue to chart the information. We will certainly be able to analyze the results in a few weeks and report back.

I learned this week that Shell dealers who participate in the rewards program with Stop 'n' Shop may be having some difficulty with the display on their dispensers once they have been re-programmed to accept the Stop 'n' Shop loyalty card. It seems that stations using a two tier cash/credit price on their pump can only display the cash price in the lighted display once the nozzle is hung up. This is incorrect and a violation of state law. The CREDIT price must be displayed as the actual price on the pump. Once the cash price has been pressed, it is then okay for the cash price to be displayed. When the pump is idle the correct price on the display MUST be the credit price. If you are having this issue, please call the office. I don’t know how to solve this but certainly it must be corrected.

PAC FUNDRAISER - Wednesday October 2, 2013
I know that a lot of you guys like to shoot and this will be a fun event! We have a number of members already registered to participate and this is a relatively low contribution that you need to make to the PAC. For $225 you will have a fun day, and you will be making an investment in protecting your business. NJGCA relies on this money to advocate for your needs, and prevent legislators from passing potentially harmful legislation. Register now!

Service Station Dealers of America Annual Meeting
I'll be spending a few days down in Ocean City, Maryland at the Service Station Dealers of America annual meeting to compare notes with my counterparts in other states. I am certainly interested in seeing how they are dealing with similar issues, particularly the generator issue and Right to Repair. I look forward to sharing my experience with you in next week's Road Warrior.

October Voter Guide issue of On The Road
Please look for the October On The Road. This issue contains the NJGCA Voter Guide, and it should be in your mailbox by October 10th. PLEASE FIND THE TIME TO READ THE OTR WHEN IT ARRIVES. There is a lot of work that goes into this, and we have provided you with a lot of information. This should stimulate questions, so please feel free to call the office with those questions. We do this for you, and we want to see our members appreciating the time and energy that we spend on these projects.

Thanks for reading -- See you next week!

Regards,
Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

NJGCA member has an immediate need to move his prospering business. He just found out the building he is in has been sold, and he needs a new location. Do you have a repair shop (with or without gas) that you are looking to lease?

If you own a business in one of these towns or the surrounding area: Wayne, Morristown, Boonton, Fairfield, Montville, Pinebrook, Hanover, Livingston, Florham Park, Rockaway or Butler -- and you are looking to lease your location -- we have a member that is interested!!

Successful Exxon station in Lincroft looking to get out of the repair business. Building consists of 3 bays, front office, storage, bathrooms, etc.

If you are interested in moving, starting your repair business at this location, or converting this space into a convenience store, we have a member that is interested!!

Please contact Debbie Hill at debbie@njgca.org or 973-376-0066 with any inquiries, questions, or for more information about either of these sites.

If you'd like to list your business for sale, publish a location you're selling, or are seeking a business partner for your establishment, please contact NJGCA at 973-376-0066!

09/27/2013:
Jersey City council OKs paid sick time for most private workers
Jersey City has become the first city in the state, and the sixth nationwide, to mandate that most businesses provide paid sick time to their workers, thanks to a nearly unanimous vote by the City Council tonight. The policy requires businesses that employ 10 or more workers to provide up to 40 hours of paid sick time to each employee, including part-time staff. While one resident urged the panel to reconsider, and another suggested tabling the measure, the council shot down those ideas. The requirement, which takes effect on Jan. 24, 2014, sends a signal to the rest of the state, Councilman at large Rolando Lavarro said. However, Mayor Fulop said that he expects a lawsuit over the mandate, a suit that he said would delay its implementation.

09/27/2013:
Legislators and Attorneys General Join Push for E-Cigarette Regulation
More voices are urging the Food and Drug Administration to issue regulations for electronic cigarettes. In a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg on Tuesday, the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) said states have fought to protect their residents from the dangers of tobacco products. Forty state and territorial attorneys general signed the letter. The association pointed to a recent US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study that found 1.8 million middle and high school students said they had tried an e-cigarettes in 2012. The letter comes one week after several Democrats in the US House of Representatives sent a similar letter to Hamburg pushing for the agency to take immediate action on electronic cigarette regulation. US Rep Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) was one of this group.

09/25/2013:
Obamacare's actual costs still to come, but N.J. premiums will be above U.S. average
NJ individuals and families will have 29 health plans to chose from on the new Affordable Care Act marketplace launching next week, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the cost of a typical premium is more in NJ than the US average. New Jersey's benchmark silver plan averages $385 a month, compared to $328 nationally, while the lowest cost bronze plan averages $332 a month in NJ, compared to $249 nationally. As you know, NJGCA offers health coverage to all of our members through Association Master Trust, and if you haven't already done so, we encourage you to take AMT into consideration when you are choosing a health plan for yourself, your family and your business. For more information, please call 973-376-0066 and ask for Greg.

09/22/2013:
NJGCA in the News: Businesses fight Teaneck plan to require backup power
As you know, we have been very busy trying to educate state officials and lawmakers about the proposals to require gas stations to install generators. NJGCA Executive Director Sal Risalvato has been quoted in one written story, and interviewed by two local news stations this week. In addition to reading the above article, please watch the interviews at: http://www.njgca.org/njgca-in-the-news/

TRAINING CLASSES!!
-ALL CLASSES WILL BE HELD AT NJGCA HEADQUARTERS-
66 Morris Avenue - Springfield, NJ 07081 (Union County)

We have had a number of NJGCA members successfully reduce their rate per kWh signing up through our energy saving program. We know it’s difficult to collect 12 months worth of previous electric bills to get an “accurate” analysis when comparing a variable rate to a fixed rate, but we now have another option available.

This new solution is a power purchase option; the other program is still in full force and has saved members thousands of dollars. If you sign up for the power purchase option, you will be grouped with other NJGCA members until the minimum KW demand is acquired. By pooling the member’s usage together, you will be able to take advantage, as large energy users do, and receive a lower kWh rate.

Each member will receive their own contract. Each member is responsible to sign and return the agreement the day it is received in order to secure the price for their group.

Please do your due diligence, so when you receive the proposal and the agreement you will be able to make an intelligent decision.

If by chance, you still want us to assess you bills, to give you a price to compare, we will require12 months of your most recent utility bills.

There are no bills required, but we would still like to have one bill per meter on file to check account #’s, meter #’s service addresses and other pertinent information incase there is a problem.

The term of the agreement is for 12 months. During this term period, you will have price protection against any energy price increases along with a low fixed kWh rate.

If you are interested in becoming part of this power purchase option, please contact Greg Cannon at the NJGCA.

Remember when you sign up your energy through the NJGCA Energy Program, TMP makes a considerable donation to the NJGCA Scholarship Fund through their proceeds. This has no affect on your rate, and costs you nothing out of pocket.

We hope to help hundreds of NJGCA members reduce their utility costs by participating in this and our other cost reduction programs. Our purpose, in the endeavor, is to help NJGCA members lower their energy costs while supporting the NJGCA Scholarship Fund.

Contact GREG CANNON at 973-376-0066 or email Greg at greg@njgca.org. Mention that you are interested in saving money on your energy bills. NJGCA & TMP Energy Solutions will handle all the rest.

POLITICAL PARTICIPATON: THE NJGCA PAC

DEFENDING OUR MEMBERS.
PROTECTING YOUR INTERESTS.
ANSWER THE CALL & CONTRIBUTE TODAY!!

Promoting our agenda in Trenton is of utmost importance to NJGCA and our members.

However, in order to truly affect the debate, we must ensure our friends in the Legislature are re-elected. 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 a few. This is not only unfair to those few members who have shouldered this burden, but means we are not utilizing our full strength to affect the debate in Trenton.

To truly understand the importance of supporting our allies, consider our successes in Trenton:

We defeated BELOW COST SELLING
We made history in getting FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL signed into law!
We have built large support for RIGHT TO REPAIR and got it passed out of the Assembly
We defended your small business against the false accusations of Attorney General Anne Milgram
We gained wide support to move New Jersey to an all PIF Inspection System and close the CIF lanes
...and MUCH MORE!!

In each instance, we achieved these goals with the help of our friends in the Legislature!

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.

THE MEMBER TOOL BOX

MEMBER SAVINGS PAGE
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