January 08, 2015

Dear NJGCA Member:

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

Here is what you will find in this edition:

NEW YEAR, SAME ISSUES -- GAS TAX STILL A TOP PRIORITY
RE-LAUNCH OF THE STATE'S GENERATOR GRANT PROGRAM
MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE & BAN THE BOX NOW IN EFFECT
SSDA FEDERAL LOBBY DAY IN WASHINGTON, DC ON FEB. 5

The holidays are now over and we made it into the new year without a gas tax surprise in Trenton! However, the gas tax issue still remains our highest priority. It's a new year, but we still face the same critical battles on behalf of our members. This Tuesday is the Governor's State of the State address, and I am hoping that we will get at least a hint as to how the Governor plans to proceed on the gas tax issue. Eric and I began the year by continuing to meet with key legislators on the budget committees of both houses, and we will share your position with them until they stop picking up the phone when we call.

Next, you should have all received an Events and Announcements from us earlier this week, which discussed the re-launch of the Generator Grant Program. Now, all stations that sell diesel, and have over 18,000 gallons of gasoline storage capacity, are eligible for up to $15,000 for a quick connect! All information about this program can be found HERE on the State's website. Please do not hesitate to contact Jacy at 973-376-0066, or respond directly to this email, with any questions or concerns. Make no mistake about it… The re-launch of this program with less stringent eligibility requirements is ENTIRELY because of NJGCA efforts in Trenton. DO NOT waste this opportunity!

I have two reminders for you now:

Finally, I have an exciting announcement! Our national affiliate SSDA has organized a Federal Lobby Day in Washington DC on February 5. This will be an interesting experience for those who have never been on Capitol Hill or in the Halls of Congress to see how things work. Although SSDA has arranged a schedule of events I expect we will meet with several of NJ’s Representatives on our own. I will try to set up appointments as soon as I know who will be traveling from NJ. Please let me know ASAP if you are interested in joining me. Depending how many are traveling from NJ, we can organize riding together.

That's all for now! Thanks for reading -- See you next week!

Regards,
Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

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

NJGCA is offering the Emission Repair Technician RE-CERTIFICATION class in December.

FOR REGISTRATION INFO FOR THE EMISSION REPAIR TECHNICIAN RE-CERTIFICATION, PLEASE CLICK HERE

FUTURE CLASSES WILL BE ADDED UPON REQUEST AND ACCORDING TO DEMAND. CONTACT DEBBIE at 973-376-0066 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

Do you have a business for sale? Are you looking for a new location or opportunity?

01/08/2015
U.S. Oil Producers Cut Rigs as Price Declines
With oil prices plunging at an ever-quickening rate, producers are beginning to slash the number of drilling rigs around the country. The national rig count had remained surprisingly resilient over recent months even as oil prices dropped by more than 50% since June, and it still tops the count of a year ago as domestic production continues to surge. But a recent announcement by Helmerich & Payne, the giant contract rig company, that it plans to idle up to 50 rigs over the next month sent shudders through the industry. And that came on top of the 11 rigs that it has already mothballed, meaning that in just a few weeks, its shale drilling activity will be reduced by about 20%. The announcement was an early indication that the oil industry, with its history of booms and busts, is in the early stages of its latest downturn. Energy companies drop rigs when drilling costs outpace the price they think they will attract, leading to lower production and higher prices. But until the effects ripple through the market, consumers and the broader economy will most likely enjoy the benefits of low gasoline and heating oil prices for at least the next six months, energy experts say.

01/07/2015:
State Legislatures and Tobacco Taxes: 10 states have indicated intentions to raise cigarette, OTP or e-cigarette taxes
With state legislatures just beginning to convene their 2015 legislative sessions, a number of bills have been introduced to increase state cigarette and tobacco taxes or assess a new tax on e-cigs. Already just one week into the New Year, bills have been carried over from the 2014 legislative sessions, pre-filed, or actually introduced in 10 states to raise cigarette or OTP tax rates or assess a tax on e-cigs. In NJ, there are three carryover bills from the 2014 legislative session: A1308, which would tax little cigars at the same rate as cigarettes (13.5 cents per little cigar), A1944 and S1213, which would raise the tobacco products tax rate to 90% of the wholesale price and tax moist snuff at $2.25 per ounce, and A2021 which would reduce the cigarette tax by 30 cents per pack.

01/05/2015:
N.J. Backup Power Program Goes Statewide: All Garden State gas stations with minimum capacity of 18,000 gallons now eligible for funding
The NJ Economic Development Authority has announced revised guidelines for the Retail Fuel Station (RFS) Program, expanding eligibility for more gas stations throughout the state. The $7 million grant program allows retail gas stations faster and more reliable access to backup power during an energy emergency, addressing emergency fuel supply challenges highlighted during Superstorm Sandy. Under the new guidelines, all gas stations statewide with a minimum gasoline capacity of 18,000 gallons are eligible to apply. Previously, the program was limited to those close to evacuation routes with minimum gasoline storage capacity of 30,000 gallons. "This voluntary program accomplished many of the things that NJGCA had been fighting for in the year after Hurricane Sandy, and we were thrilled to partner with the Economic Development Authority (EDA) in promoting the program," said Sal Risalvato, executive director of the New Jersey Gasoline, Convenience, Automotive Association (NJGCA). "During the initial application period, we were contacted by many stations who did not fit the requirements of the program," Risalvato said. "These were stations located outside the quarter-mile buffer zone from the qualified roadways and identified evacuation routes, or stations that had less than 30,000 gallons of underground fuel storage capacity. After all of the applications were processed, and it became clear that there was still a substantial amount of money left, we began to engage in discussions with the EDA about possibly expanding the program to allow more stations to be eligible," he said.

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

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