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Road Warrior Newsletter


June 29, 2017

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:
• Trenton Continues to Pressure Small Business Community; Diesel Tax Increases at Midnight on Friday, June 30th; Happy 4th of July Message!

NJGCA CLASSIFIEDS
- Commercial Building for Sale. Possible Sale of Business, Too! 
- Gilbarco Encore 300 Dispensers for Sale.  Brand New in 2003.

NEWS AROUND THE STATE
Is It Crazy to Think Facebook Could Buy 7-Eleven?
Gas prices are set to do something that they haven't done this century
The hypocrisy of those who like the ban on self-serve gas

TRAINING CLASS SCHEDULE!
• One Day Emissions Inspector Training Class - Tues., July 18th
• ETEP Re-Cert -- Sections 8, 9 and 10 -- Starting Weds., July 19

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
• 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!

*NEW*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!

TRENTON CONTINUES TO PRESSURE SMALL BUSINESSES
DIESEL TAX INCREASES AT MIDNIGHT ON FRIDAY, JUNE 30TH
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY MESSAGE!

 
Today (Thursday) is the last day in Trenton before the budget must be passed. As such, negotiations always go late into the night. There is even a chance that the budget will not pass by the constitutional deadline of midnight on June 30th because there is serious disagreement over the Governor’s attempt to steal $300 million from Horizon BC/BS to fill a gap in the budget. We will not have a full rundown of everything that happened in Trenton until sometime tomorrow. As such, we are simply going to give you an update on where we think things stand, and next week we will let you know if anything new or unexpected happened.
  1. An expansion of paid family leave has now passed in both Houses and is on the Governor’s desk. Our main objection is that the 50 employee exemption has been reduced to 20. Some of you may now have to comply. I am expecting the governor to veto this bill, however, that may not be such a good thing. If the Governor does veto it, it will quickly reemerge next year, when we will most likely have a Democrat Governor and Democrat-controlled legislature.If this happens, I fear that the exemption could change from 50 employees to 0! Right now, I am not ready to declare a potential veto by Governor Christie as a “victory” for our members.
  2. Another matter that has passed both Houses and is now on the Governor’s desk is legislation that will prohibit you from asking potential employees about their salary history during an interview. I'm waiting to see what the Governor does and will let you know if this gets signed into law, but it will certainly affect how you conduct employee interviews.
  3. A few weeks ago I mentioned a bill that would make minimum wage at Newark Airport $18/hour and $22/hour with benefits. This bill is also currently on the Governor’s desk. While it's unlikely that the Governor would sign this, advocates of a $15/hour minimum wage will see this “success” and be emboldened to take their efforts even further next year. One small thing that did recently occur in favor of the business community is a study reported on by the Washington Post which has been getting a lot of attention, and will definitely be used by small business groups when we take up the minimum wage fight again. Click here to read the article.
Since next week’s Road Warrior will come after the holiday, I want to send my 4th of July greeting now. As always, I hope you all have the opportunity to reflect on the meaning and significance of this holiday. Especially for those of us deeply entrenched in politics, it is important to remember that no matter how much we disagree with our opponents politically, nowhere else in the world do people have the freedom that our Founding Fathers gained for us on July 4, 1776.  We have much to be grateful for! Remember that while you are grilling your hotdogs.
 
Finally, do not forget that the diesel tax is increasing at midnight on Friday.  When you open for business on Saturday, July 1, you need to add 10.8¢ per gallon to your diesel sales. You will be required to fill out an inventory form and a floor stocks tax form so the State can collect this money from you. These forms were sent out in the Wildfire Alert on Monday, which you can read HERE.  

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!
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, June 22nd from 7:00am to 3:00pm. Cost $250.
Click HERE for the registration form.


ETEP Re-Certification Classes -- Sections 8, 9, and 10
Stop turning away work!!  The New Jersey Inspection Program requires vehicles that fail emissions inspection to go to a Licensed Certified Emission Inspector for Repairs! When the new program begins, a list of Certified Emission Repair Shops will be given to vehicle owners! If you want your business name on the list – make sure you have a Certified Licensed Emission Repair Technician & an Emission Repair Facility License!

This class runs on Wednesdays from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM for 4 weeks.
Class dates are Wednesday, July 19, 26, August 2nd and TUESDAY August 8th.

Fees for members are $635 and non-members are $765.
Click HERE for 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:
Commercial Building in Asbury Park, Possible Sale of Business, Too!  For listing information, please click HERE.
FOR SALE:
Four (4) Gilbarco Encore 300 dispensers.  Brand New in 2003.  Pumps work great, just no card readers.  Call Katie or Al at 732-739-1360.

Also offering: Transac system for pumps and two dual LSI island lights

                                                                                                                                                                         

NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW


06/29/2017:
Is It Crazy to Think Facebook Could Buy 7-Eleven?
With Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods Market, the Pandora’s Box of acquisitions is open. Or at the very least, the rumor mill has started spinning. Whole Foods appeals to a specific consumer base, and if Amazon really does intend to revolutionize the grocery sector, it might have to buy more of the market to get there. There’s also Amazon’s competition to consider. Reuters recently reported that Wal-Mart is not likely to make a counter offer for Whole Foods, but there are still plenty of acquisition possibilities. Wal-Mart and other large grocers may start making acquisitions of their own, securing their defenses against Amazon’s seemingly inevitable brick-and-mortar growth. Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods may also mark a new era of acquisitions in which everything is up for grabs and nothing is off the table, especially when it comes to mixing the worlds of online and brick-and-mortar retail sales. And that's where the rumors come in. Click the link above for some acquisition possibilities that have been discussed in the wake of Amazon’s surprise Whole Foods Market takeover …
 
06/28/2017:
Gas prices are set to do something that they haven't done this century
Drivers making Fourth of July holiday road trips will find the cheaper gas prices at the pump now than they would have on Jan. 1, which is the first time that's happened this century, petroleum experts say. The average price for regular in the state will remain around the current $2.29-a-gallon mark for the five-day-holiday period, said Tom Kloza, Oil Price Information Service global head of energy analysis. "We are at the lowest prices of year, which is odd during a holiday," he said. "In most states, including NJ, prices are lower on July 1 than they were on January 1." The average price in New Jersey was $2.43 on Jan. 1, hit a peak price of $2.45 on Jan. 7, before reaching a low of $2.27 on March 22, Kloza said. Discount stations were priced between $1.99 and $2.03 a gallon for regular on Wednesday, GasBuddy.com reported. OPIS historical data showed that 2017 represents the first time this century that such a winter-to-summer price slide has happened, Kloza said. Last year, the average price for regular in the state was $2.10 for the July 4th holiday, which Kloza attributed to the vote in favor of Britain leaving the European Union depressing oil prices in commodities markets. Demand for gas could spark a small price rally this July 4th, he said. "Historically, we're higher than last year, but it is all tax," Kloza said, referring to last November's 23¢ per-gallon state gas tax increase. "If not for that, we'd be lower than last year."  This year, it's about the commodities markets lack of faith in crude oil, despite OPEC's efforts to cut production and increase prices, he said. As more drivers take to the road this summer, demand will likely increase for gas and prices will follow, he said.
 
06/27/2017:
The hypocrisy of those who like the ban on self-serve gas
The other day I stopped for gas on the way to work. I pulled in and the gas attendant only took about one minute to start waiting on me. Not bad, considering he was the only attendant working 3 islands, and at one point they were full with 12 cars. Once my pump clicked off though, the wait began. I watched as he went to four other cars and began filling them all up before finally deciding to get out of the car and finish it myself. I never like to do this because gas attendants have gotten very territorial and nasty when I have. I understand their station could technically get a fine for allowing a customer to do this. But this was going on five minutes of wait time after being done with no end in sight. It got me thinking about people’s own hypocrisy, just like the ladies at the post office. I wonder how many of the people who embrace the silly ban on self-serve gas use any of the following self-serve systems: Red Box to get a movie, U-scan at a grocery store when you only have a few items, The touch screen at a QuickChek to order your sandwich, EZ-Pass (where’s the outcry about the lost toll collector jobs?), NJ Transit ticket machines, Frozen yogurt self-serve shops, Do-it-yourself car wash bays, ATMs, etc. There are many, many more examples, but I think you get the point.  I find it hilarious that we are the only state left with an all-out ban on self-serve gas and people are so brainwashed that they think the rest of the country has it wrong.

                                                                                                                                                                  

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. 

                                                                                                                                     

*NEW* 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.