There’s a long history of terrible regulations on businesses being proposed in New York and flowing across the river into New Jersey, which is why were concerned about the latest idea that’s being considered by Governor Hochul. She aims to either completely ban all tobacco products in 10 years, or create an “age-gating” restriction. This would apply to everyone born after a certain year (say 2010), and they would forever be banned from buying tobacco products in New York, no matter how old they get. The goal is a full prohibition on the sale of cigarettes entirely. Of course, we’ve also seen that no matter the potential public health merits of an idea, prohibition simply does not work. It didn’t work for alcohol, and Governor Hochul has explicitly said that it didn’t work for marijuana. Despite the poor track record, she apparently thinks a cigarette ban will be successful. All these prohibition policies do is take business away from honest regulated business owners such as yourselves, who then get replaced by black market businesses and “trunk slammers” who have no care for safety, who they sell to (including children), don’t have to pay taxes, etc. Not to mention the tax revenue the state loses out on by banning all cigarette products. We are seeing this issue play out currently with the state prohibition on flavored vapes, which now requires a private company to enforce since the government has no interest. You can read an article on this issue that we were recently quoted in HERE.
Marketplace Update
This is the time of year when we normally experience the highest gas prices, due to the increase in demand and the switch to summer blend. Prices did spike recently, but over the last week rack prices have dropped around 20 cents. The average price with taxes is now about $3.12 a gallon. The question we face now is was this year’s spring spike smaller and quicker than normal, or are we currently in a temporary low before it shoots up again in the next few weeks. Prices spiked in part because of the surprise announcement from OPEC that they would be cutting production, but they have dropped a lot since then. If we had a crystal ball and knew the answers, we would be millionaires! We will continue to monitor prices over time.
Speaking of pricing, we saw a strong response from members after we mentioned in last week’s newsletter that we are looking into a way to protect dealers who don’t own their location from being gouged by certain suppliers on their DTW price. Some members are getting charged 25-50¢ a gallon over rack prices, and a few don’t even know that most other stations are getting prices close to rack. Email Eric@njgca.org if you haven’t already if you are being hurt by excessive DTW prices.
Scholarship Applications and Donations Needed
Our scholarship application is live and we are accepting both mailed and online applications. We have been able to award scholarship funds to children of NJGCA members and the children of employees of NJGCA members. Last year, $10,000 was awarded with $5,000 being contributed thanks to the generosity of Utica Insurance. Utica Insurance is the insurance company that insures many NJGCA members. The contribution was arranged by NJGCA MBP World Insurance (Amato Agency). Once again Utica has contributed $5,000 towards a scholarship that is to be awarded to a student attending an automotive technical school or studying automotive technology. Each NJGCA member will be entitled to submit ONE application that will be reviewed by the scholarship committee. While the Utica donation must go towards automotive training, other funds can be given to a deserving student studying anything. Applicants may be either the child/grandchild of a member, or an employee, or the child of an employee that works for the NJGCA member. You can find both the mail-in application and the online application HERE. Do not forget to include the other documentation required (transcripts, essays, etc) to be considered.
This year we have also requested our membership to help contribute to the scholarship funds so more students will be able to benefit. We are still conducting our Scholarship Drive, and we need your help! Our goal this year is to raise $15,000 for the scholarship fund. No donation is too small or too big and remember, it is tax deductible! Just in time for tax season. Send in your donation today! The scholarship benefits your family and employees’ families. You can either mail a check or donate online.
Let’s show this year’s recipients the generosity of NJGCA members!
Scan the QR code or visit the link to find the scholarship donation page.
All classes held at NJGCA HQ -- 615 Hope Road, Building 2, 1st Floor, Eatontown, NJ 07724
ASE Training Course - Reach Out Today!
Are you (or an employee) getting ready to take your A6, A8, or L1 in preparation to recertifying your Emission Repair Technician (ERT) credentials through the State's Emission Technician Education Program (ETEP)?
We can help --- but we need to hear from you, first! NJGCA wants to hear from students interested in our ASE-prep training program, so we can gauge demand and schedule our next session series.
As you know, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has always maintained a "dual-track" system to allow technicians to earn their Emission Repair Technician (ERT) credentials through New Jersey's Emission Technician Education Program (ETEP). In doing so, technicians were allowed to certify as ERTs through either an ASE-test track or an ETEP-educational class track. Starting on January 1, 2020, NJDEP amended the ETEP criteria, and the ETEP-educational class track was abolished.
Today, only the ASE-test track remains, and all ERTs must certify or re-certify their credentials though ASE to remain in the Program.
NJGCA has recently offered an ASE-prep class to help you get ready for the A6, A8, and L1. In doing so, students were welcome to participate in a ten-session preparatory class that covered material for all three ASE exams. We also had a handful of students who joined us only for the A8 or L1 sections.
Once completed, students took their ASE exams with a local ASE-approved test proctor (NJGCA can train you to prepare for the ASE exams, but are not permitted to offer the actual exam - students must make these arrangements individually themselves).
Building on that success, we are now seeking student participation in our next training series session. To make arrangements and organize a session, we need to hear from you!
A former gas station owner stands accused of failing to comply with a state order to clean up fuel-contaminated soil near a residential area, authorities said in a lawsuit. Fort Lee gas station owner Thomas Argiro allegedly found and ignored gas discharges from multiple underground storage tanks, and then missed the deadlines to remediate as ordered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, a DEP complaint filed this week said. An environmental consultant had first discovered the fuel discharges in 1999, when hired to remove the gas tanks, yet the station owner "failed to take any remedial action." Despite this and a DEP order for remediation in 2018, the contamination at the site, to date, remains "un-remediated," the complaint said.
Gas prices continued to rise in New Jersey and around the nation at large this past week, but analysts say a drop in demand and falling oil prices may soon bring relief at the pumps. The average price of a gallon of regular gas in New Jersey on Friday was $3.52, an increase of eight cents from last week, AAA Mid-Atlantic said. Drivers were paying $4.08 a gallon on average a year ago at this time. The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.68, up two cents from last week. Drivers were paying $4.12 a gallon on average a year ago at this time.
Massachusetts lawmakers are considering legalizing online lottery ticket sales, a move that is meeting resistance from convenience stores and other retailers, MassLive.com reports. Lottery officials say the bump in digital and mobile sports betting in the state could harm lottery revenue if state lottery tickets aren’t available for online sales. The Massachusetts Lottery could move online by the middle of next year, with support from Gov. Maura Healey and state House leaders. The retailers told legislators to slow down enough to carefully look into the impact digital sales could have on the lottery’s retail locations.
Chevron and Exxon Mobil are now testing renewable gasoline blends the companies claim could reduce emissions from gas-powered vehicles in line to the levels of electric vehicles (EVs), Reuters reports. If made available commercially, the fuels have the potential of elongating the gasoline market life as the world transitions to EVs and cleaner fuels. "We really believe there has to be alternatives for the light-duty vehicle," said Chevron executive Andy Walz. "Electrification is not the only answer."
The Biden administration will soon reveal a proposal to mandate power plants substantially lower their greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, the Washington Post reports. The move comes after the U.S. Supreme Court denied the administration’s first effort to regulate the industry. If approved, the limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would be so tight that power plants that burn fossil fuels would need to resort to carbon-capturing technology or turn to other fuels to be in compliance. The final proposal has yet to be announced by the EPA.
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.
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