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Road Warrior Newsletter
 


 

January 11, 2018

Dear NJGCA Member:

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

Here is what you will find in this edition:

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE:
• Replacing Your Lead Wheel Weights, Predatory Towing Act, Wage Theft Legislation, Self-Service Gas: NJ the Lone Warrior
 

NJGCA CLASSIFIEDS
- Monmouth County: Gas Station and Repair Shop Business Since 2001
- Asbury Park: Commercial Building for Sale. Possible Sale of Business
- Bergen County: Shell Gas Station with 6-Bay Repair Shop for Sale

NEWS AROUND THE STATE

• ICE Targeted Three 7-Eleven Store in New Jersey for Nationwide Sweep
• That 20 Percent Tax Break For Small Businesses Is No Free-For-All. How to Navigate
• Top New Jersey Democrats propose major plan to save property tax deduction
• 
Pharma exec with ties to Christie considers running against Menendez
• Christie Declares State of Emergency For All of N.J. As Blizzard Hits

 

• Emissions Inspector Training Class, THURSDAY, February 15th

MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE BOARD
• The Amato Agency: Garage Insurance and Workers Compensation! 
• ATS Environmental: Confidence in your Tank & Compliance Testing

• Bellomo Fuel: Exceptional Service, Aggressive Petroleum Marketing
• CBIZ Insurance: Our Business is Growing Yours!

• Gill Energy: Getting you There!
• Lending Capital: "Commercial Loans Made Easy" Program
• Salomone Brothers: Tank Testing and Environmental Compliance
• TMP Energy Solutions: Another Way to Save On Your Energy Bills

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

Energy Information Agency Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices

JOIN NJGCA ON FACEBOOK -- CLICK HERE
TO SEE OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL -- CLICK HERE

                                                                                                                                       

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE: GREETINGS & SAL-UTATIONS!

REPLACING YOUR LEAD WHEEL WEIGHTS
PREDATORY TOWING ACT
WAGE THEFT LEGISLATION
SELF-SERVICE GAS: NJ THE LONE WARRIOR
 

Last year, I mentioned efforts by legislators to pass a bill that would outlaw the use of lead and mercury wheel weights. Lead and mercury are considered toxic heavy metals; should wheel weights fall off of a vehicle, they may end up in waterways or storm sewers and contamination may occur. This bill was passed and signed by Governor Christie and will go into effect July 7th. Many of you have already expressed the fact that you no longer purchase or install lead wheel weights, but for those of you who do, it is important that you either stop or plan to deplete your inventory before this legislation goes into effect. There are currently seven other states including New York that have banned lead wheel weights. Failure to comply will result in a $2,500 fine, so time to make that change!
 
We have also been talking about the efforts to amend the Predatory Towing Act that would exempt any non-consent tows that are ordered by a police department or municipal office. These tows will now be exempt from the law after legislation was passed on the last day of the legislative session on Tuesday. The bill is currently sitting on the Governor’s desk awaiting signature. Should this not be signed before next Tuesday, the bill will need to be re-introduced in the next legislature. 
 
In previous Road Warriors and throughout the past few weeks I have detailed NJGCA’s efforts to monitor wage theft legislation. As an update, Eric and I recently met with Counsel to Governor Christie and have been successful in our efforts to ensure the Governor conditionally vetoes this legislation. The language the Governor used in the bill is very similar to what we proposed to his staff, taking into consideration all points we proposed. Since this was a campaign issue for Governor-elect Murphy, I expect this to be reintroduced in the coming weeks with provisions we previously negotiated out of the legislation. We want to remind you that our priority is to keep provisions out of the bill that would keep employees from filing criminal charges against you, should errors occur in computing pay, though we cannot and will never defend a dishonest employer. Looking to the future, we urge the Governor-elect to consider differentiating between willful vs. unintentional violations in any future versions of this legislation.   
 
Another issue which has made its way into the media recently is self serve gas stations in New Jersey (or lack thereof). Because we wanted to keep this issue out of November’s election, we have been relatively quiet on this, however, there has been some renewed talk due to recent changes in Oregon law which loosened their prohibition as of January 1st. Recently, there have been several items in the news outlining both sides of the argument, which we have linked to below:

Fight status quo on N.J. self-service gas ban; Touchy about an attendant's touch | Feedback

NJ’s status as the only state requiring full serve gas is in jeopardy, says lawmaker

New Jersey Is Last State to Insist at Gas Stations: Don’t Touch That Pump

With the recent string of brutal weather we have been experiencing in New Jersey, this topic may invoke strong feelings for some, though we want legislators and the motoring public to know we maintain our position that motorists should be given a choice between full serve and self serve.
 
Finally, as the 217th legislature came to a close at noon on Tuesday and the new 218th legislature begins, I wanted to remind you all of the advocacy work NJGCA does for our members to ensure your interests are represented in Trenton. 9,908 bills were introduced in the past two years (217th legislature), 1,600 of which we have closely monitored as they may ultimately affect your business in some way. We expect many of the bills that were not passed in the previous legislature to be reintroduced with a new two-year life cycle. The new Governor, Phil Murphy, takes office next Tuesday, January 16th at noon.
 



Thanks for reading -- See you next week!

Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

                                                                                                                                     

TRAINING CLASSES!!

All classes held at NJGCA HQ -- 4900 Route 33 West, Wall Township, NJ 07753
 

Emissions Inspector Training Class - One Day Only!
THURSDAY, February 15th -- 7am to 3pm

Want one of your technicians to become a NJ Emissions Inspector? We can help! Our one-day class will provide all the information for becoming a NJ Emissions Inspector, and the State will administer the written test the very same day at our offices!  We are offering the class: Thursday, February 15 from 7:00am to 3:00pm. Cost $275.
Click HERE for the registration form.


FUTURE CLASSES WILL BE ADDED UPON REQUEST AND ACCORDING TO DEMAND. CONTACT DEBBIE at 732-256-9646 or DEBBIE@NJGCA.ORG TO LET HER KNOW YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TAKING A SPECIFIC CLASS.  THIS WILL ALLOW US TO GAUGE YOUR NEEDS AND KEEP TRACK OF THOSE WISHING TO PARTICIPATE!!

                                                                                                                                 

 CLASSIFIEDS! -- FOR SALE & HELP WANTED ADS

FOR SALE:

Business For Sale: Monmouth County gas station and repair shop in business since 2001 is for sale. Owner is relocating out of state and is interested in selling business and equipment. Owner is open to limited financing. Business has a strong 10 year lease. The building has two repair bays and the gas pumps are leased to a large independent tenant. Repair shop business currently employs a Manager and two full-time Technicians. For inquiries and more info, please call Mark at 908-670-7798.
 

FOR SALE:
Commercial Building in Asbury Park, Possible Sale of Business, Too!  For listing information, please click HERE.
 
FOR SALE:
Shell Gas Station with 6-Bay Repair Shop for Sale in Bergen County!

Business established in 1980. Fully equipped repair shop with 5 lifts including an alignment rack with a 2-year-old Hunter Hawkeye alignment machine. New Hunter tire machine & wheel balancer. AAA aproved and very busy.
 
Towing business also available which includes 3 Freightliner/JerrDan flatbeds (2015, 2016 & 2017), a 2012 Dodge crew cab wrecker with a Jerrdan Quick Pick & dual cable winch & 2 service trucks (a 2012 GMC 2500 utility truck with a plow & a 2014 Ford transit battery/service vehicle).

Pumping over 1,000,000 gallons per year. 100x300 lot with plenty of parking. Excellent location!!! Call Jim @ 201-851-3084.

         
 

                                                                                                                                     

NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW


1/10/18:
ICE Targeted Three 7-Eleven Store in New Jersey for Nationwide Sweep
In the largest nationwide sweep since President Donald Trump took office, ICE agents raided 98 7-Eleven locations and made a total of 21 arrests on Wednesday morning, including three locations in New Jersey. ICE agents said all but one pleaded guilty and were ordered to pay more than $2.6 million in back wages to workers. ICE agents have made 40 percent more arrests in the past year.

 

1/9/2018:
That 20 Percent Tax Break For Small Businesses Is No Free-For-All. How to Navigate
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act offers a 20 percent deduction for qualified business income from pass-through entities, including S-corporations and limited liability companies. Business owners are subject to a tax break on the income their businesses generate, the deduction will not lower adjusted gross income and it will not be required to itemize on your taxes in order to take it. If you qualify for the deduction, the tax break will apply to the lesser of your qualified business income or your taxable income minus capital gains. 
 

1/8/2018:
Surprise! School bus camera bill fails to pass in Senate
A proposal calling for fines for motorists that pass school buses when the right lit stop sign is engaged failed to pass due to concerns of using this legislation as a means to boost ticket revenue. Among the bills that were passed include increases to pensions of elected officials who change offices and tax incentives. 

 

1/05/2018:
Top New Jersey Democrats propose major plan to save property tax deduction
A recent proposal from Rep. Josh Gottheimer of Bergen County would give local governments the ability to create new funds that would permit homeowners to pay their property taxes by making a charitable contribution. This would allow homeowners to keep deducting their property taxes, avoiding a $10,000 cap on such write-offs that President Donald Trump recently signed into law. The proposal has been met with support from Senate president Steve Sweeney and the New Jersey State League of Municipalities. 

1/5/2018:
Pharma exec with ties to Christie considers running against Menendez
Celgene Executive Chairman Bob Hugin is currently considering running for Senate as a Republican against Democrat Senator Bob Menendez, who is up for reelection this year. While the Justice Department has not yet declared plans for a retry Menendez, recent polls show the trial may have affected Menendez’s popularity. Hugin, a Jersey native and Princeton graduate, has previously donated thousands to state and local Republican candidates in New Jersey.
 
1/4/2018:
Christie Declares State of Emergency For All of N.J. As Blizzard Hits
Governor Christie declared a state of emergency in four counties due to blizzard conditions. Atlantic, Cape May, Monmouth, and Ocean counties were initially the only counties the Governor Christie deemed unsafe, though later in day the order was expanded throughout the entire state. 

 

  

                                                                                                                                                                                          

MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE BOARD:

 

      







TMP Energy Solutions

Another Way to Save on Your Energy Bills

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 require 12 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 732-256-9646 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
4900 Route 33 West, Suite 100
Wall Township, NJ 07753
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. 

                                                                                                                                     

Energy Information Agency Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices

Each week, the Energy Information Administration publishes a list of average gasoline prices for the previous three weeks. NJGCA will begin including this list with the Weekly Road Warrior.  Remember, these prices are reflective of self-serve everywhere except NJ.