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Road Warrior Newsletter

March 27, 2015

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:

• Developments in Gas Tax Battle; Rewards Program Loophole- Closing on Governor’s desk - Urge Him to Sign Now!; NY Moves to Reduce Safety Inspections; Federal and State Lottery Update;
Safety Inspections for Uber Vehicles; 2015 MBP Brochure in the Mail; 2015 Spring Diner Tour Breakfasts Announced!; Generator Grant Program Application Period Concludes on Tuesday

NJGCA CLASSIFIEDS
- NJGCA MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER GILL ENERGY LOOKING TO HIRE FOR (3) DIFFERENT POSITIONS

District Manager
Store Manager
Trucking Operations Manager

For more information, and to submit a resume, please contact: ravigill@gillenergy.com.

NEWS AROUND THE STATE

NJ gasoline retailers pay $300,000 in back wages
New Jersey gas tax hike looks unlikely in near future
No repair in sight for TTF; talks collapse in hunt for revenue
•  Uber says it might leave NJ; calls proposed insurance changes burdensome

TRAINING CLASS SCHEDULE!
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MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE BOARD
•Gill Energy: Getting you There!
•Choose BatteryCorp for Your Back-Up Power and Site Management
•Bellomo Fuel: Exceptional Service, Aggressive Petroleum Marketing
•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!

THE MEMBER TOOL BOX
•On the NJGCA Homepage

JOIN NJGCA ON FACEBOOK -- CLICK HERE

TO SEE OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL -- CLICK HERE

                                                                                                                                                            

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

NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE GAS TAX BATTLE
REWARDS PROGRAM LOOPHOLE-CLOSING LEGISLATION  ON GOVERNOR’s DESK -- URGE HIM TO SIGN IT NOW!
NEW YORK MOVES TO REDUCE SAFETY INSPECTIONS
FEDERAL AND STATE LOTTERY UPDATES
SAFETY INSPECTIONS FOR UBER VEHICLES  
2015 MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER BROCHURE IN THE MAIL
2015 SPRING DINER TOUR BREAKFAST MEETINGS ANNOUNCED!
GENERATOR GRANT PROGRAM

 For the last several weeks, I have reported that the gas tax battlefield has been quiet. This week however, some noise has been made. Key legislators have indicated that there will NOT be a gas tax increase or a sales tax on gas -- which on the surface may seem like a total victory.  As I heard these whispers in Trenton, news articles started to appear. However, this just isn't sitting right in my gut, and I have been sharing my concerns with interested parties and legislators in Trenton. What I've been telling them is that I don't believe that the issue is dead and that the can is just being kicked down the road.  My exact words have been, "we will get a surprise." I even believe that many legislators will be surprised, as they are being left out of any deals being negotiated between leadership in both parties and the Governor.

You have to understand the desperation in Trenton right now.  Legislators are desperate to get these revenues, and they are desperate to keep from being accused of RAISING a tax while they are up for election in November.  You must also understand the desperation of Governor Christie -- he's being pounded from all sides. On one hand, he must appear fiscally responsible and on the other, he has a transportation funding crisis. And unfortunately for us, his aspiration to be President may be an interfering factor.
 
There are certain parties that have a significant political interest in pulling the wool over the eyes of NJ citizens, and I fear that they are going to announce an agreed-upon plan. In fact, the skeptic inside of me believes that this plan is already being discussed (if not already in place) and it will include at least an increase in the gas tax, and unfortunately, I am detecting a combination of gas tax increase and the addition of applying sales tax to gasoline. All of the ingredients are here and if the recipe gets mixed correctly, they will try and sneak the sales tax past us. As a result, I have to maintain vigilance, and this remains my priority. If it happens, it will be because they beat me, not because they fooled me. I wish that I could report again this week that the gas tax battlefield is quiet, but it is not.
 
You should have all received an action alert from me yesterday, urging you to ask the Governor to sign the loophole-closing rewards program legislation that is awaiting action on his desk.  Especially if you own a branded gas station you need to be vocal on this issue.  Exxon and BP are fighting this effort, so is Sunoco (Hmmm….I guess they are considering a program of their own, too), so we need a strong grassroots response.  Again, without this bill, you will continue to be held responsible for a portion of the rewards programs that the oil companies invent. For Exxon dealers participating in the Plenti program, that is $6,000 per year. For BP dealers, that is 2.5 cents on every gallon. The Governor already signed a bill which should have protected you from having to pay these fees, but the oil companies found a loophole. It's time to get this taken care of once and for all.  I will know who has responded and who hasn't, so please spend two minutes and help us get this accomplished. CLICK HERE TO SEND OUR PRE-WRITTEN MESSAGE TO THE GOVERNOR.  It only takes two clicks.  I examined the list of those who already sent your message to Governor Christie and I want to thank you for doing so.
 
For the past several weeks, I have discussed motor vehicle inspections. The same data that exists in NJ, which supports the elimination of mandatory safety inspections as good public policy, also exists in elsewhere.  According to a message that I received from our sister association in NY, the seeds have been planted in NY to eliminate safety inspections. There is an effort underway to require safety inspections every two years rather than the current one year interval. (Does anyone remember when NJ did the same back in 1999?) We will support our friends in NY however possible, so that they do not lose safety inspections, however I cannot change the data or the facts.  I thought that this is information that you might like to know.
 
Now a quick note about lottery for our members who own c-stores. There is news to report from both Washington DC and Trenton. In 2011, the Justice Department ruled that states should have the right to offer Internet gambling (and online lottery) to their residents. The State of NJ acted quickly to welcome Internet gambling, but NJGCA was able to hold off online lottery.

Yesterday, a House Judiciary subcommittee held discussion on a bill which would reverse the Justice Department's ruling, and force States to close their online gambling operations unless Congress enacted a new bill to sanction them. Again, any laws or rulings passed about online gambling would include online lottery. The passage of this bill would mean that online lottery (and Internet gaming as a whole) would be federally prohibited, unless Congress decided to act to specifically sanction certain activities. 
 
Now, an update on a bill currently being discussed in the NJ Legislature regarding the operation of lottery courier services. The bill would allow consumers to hire a courier service to purchase and deliver their lottery tickets. We expect that this might increase lottery sales in your stores by increasing access to lottery tickets among people who traditionally do NOT play the lottery and do not come into your stores. At this point, the bill has passed the Assembly, but has not received a hearing in the Senate. Presently, we have agreed with the sponsors to remain neutral on this bill, with the understanding that we will oppose with a vengeance any attempt to expand courier services to include internet lottery. We will continue to track this legislation.
 
Another piece of legislation being considered in Trenton that we're actively working on is a bill that would establish safety and insurance regulations for companies that use online application programs and digital networks to match passengers with drivers (companies such as Uber). The original bill focused strictly on insurance regulations and had no requirement for safety inspections. However, after NJGCA input, one of the compromises that was reached is that vehicles would be required to have safety inspections every other year. NJGCA is still fighting to have that increased to every year, as it is with taxis and limousines. Even if we are not successful in securing that arrangement, every other year is still much better than nothing. Right now, it is estimated that over 5,000 vehicles in NJ fit into this category, and Uber predicts a strong possibility that will grow to over 10,000 vehicles within the year.  This news article says that 50% of Uber trips are in Hudson County, with another 20% in Essex County and 10% in Bergen County.  Chances are, if your shop is located in Northeast NJ, you would be seeing a lot of Uber cars coming into your shops for safety inspections! Please click here to read the testimony that Eric (NJGCA Associate Director of Gov. Affairs) submitted to the Committee.
 
Finally, I have three important pieces of information for you:
 
You should all be receiving your 2015 MBP brochure in the mail. Please look for it and take some time to go through it to see if you can avail yourselves of any of the vendors that are listed! NJGCA takes great pride in the MBP Program, and we encourage you to patronize the vendors and the small businesses that support this organization and allow us to continue to work hard for you!
 
The schedule for NJGCA's Spring 2015 Diner Tour has been released. Please click here to see when NJGCA will be in your town. Remember, this is a great opportunity for you to get a free breakfast, interact with your fellow small business owners, get an update from me on what the organization has been up to, and ask any questions or voice any concerns about what's going on in the industry.  You won't want to miss these informative and productive meetings!
 
To conclude, the application period for the NJ Generator Grant Program ends on Tuesday, March 31, 2015. All of the information about the program, including the application, is available online at www.njeda.com/generators. You are eligible for the program if you sell diesel fuel and have more than 18,000 gallons of gasoline storage capacity. Contact Jacy at 973-376-0066 or email jacy@njgca.org with any questions about the program.

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)

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 

NJGCA MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER GILL ENERGY LOOKING TO HIRE FOR (3) DIFFERENT POSITIONS!

District Manager
Store Manager
Trucking Operations Manager


For more information about these positions, and to submit a resume for consideration, please contact: ravigill@gillenergy.com.

                                                                                                                                                          

NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

03/26/2015
NJ gasoline retailers pay $300,000 in back wages

NJ gasoline retailers who were accused of violating wage laws paid almost $300,000 in back wages to nearly 100 underpaid workers last year, the US Labor Department said Thursday. The payments were part of a total $5.5 million that federal labor officials have recovered in NJ over the past five years, as they targeted wage violations at the pumps. According to labor officials, the most common violation was paying straight wages, instead of time and a half, for hours worked beyond 40 hours a week. Sal Risalvato, head of the New Jersey Gasoline, C-Store and Automotive Association, a group of gasoline retailers, said the group supports the effort to make sure that employees are fairly paid and that all employers are competing on a level playing field. But he added, "Much of what the Department of Labor has uncovered amounts to bookkeeping [errors], and not shorting employees."

03/26/2015
New Jersey gas tax hike looks unlikely in near future

It looks likely that NJ won't be raising gas taxes in the next few months. Gov. Christie's admin. has put together a mix of borrowed, transferred and surplus funds to provide a financial plan for transportation projects in the 2016 state budget without raising the state's 14.5-cent per gallon gas tax at what would be a politically sensitive time -- with the full Assembly on this year's state ballot and Christie mulling a run for president. Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, who has been advocating for a gas tax increase to replenish the near-broke TTF for more than a year, said he hopes there's still a chance but that the looming midterm elections are a factor. Democrats, who can pass bills on their own but not overcome gubernatorial vetoes, have been pursuing a bipartisan solution to neutralize the topic as an election-year issue. "I always say that I'm not an optimist or a pessimist. I was trying to be an optimist on this one, but I'm being a realist," Prieto said. "I don't know for certain, but it just looks as everyone's gearing up -- you know, the filing deadline is next Monday. I think that the challengers are far and many. I think that political will may not be there, which makes me kind of sad."

03/25/2015
No repair in sight for TTF; talks collapse in hunt for revenue

Negotiations to fix NJ’s depleted transportation funding system have broken down, the state transportation commissioner said Wednesday. That means any permanent fix -- including a possible gas tax increase -- probably won't happen this year, elected officials and transportation experts said. “The likelihood of it being resolved for the moment isn't ideal,” said Commissioner Jamie Fox in reference to the upcoming November election when all 80 seats of the state Assembly are on the ballot. The primary filing deadline for that race is Monday. “It’s election time, which makes it a much more difficult thing |to do.” Since the beginning of the year, Fox and leaders of both political parties have said the state’s transportation system faces a serious budget shortfall and they pushed to fix it immediately. The fund pays for major transportation projects and takes in $1.2 billion annually, mostly from motor fuels taxes and turnpike tolls. Nearly all the money is dedicated to paying off more than $18 billion in debt, however, with little left for big maintenance projects and new construction.

03/24/2015:
Uber may leave NJ; calls proposed insurance changes burdensome

An Uber Technologies, Inc. official said that a state proposal to require the rideshare company to fill what lawmakers see as a gap in its commercial insurance coverage is the main obstacle to the San Francisco-based firm's continued operation in NJ. It could be a deal breaker, Josh Mohrer, Uber's general manager for the New York area, said in a visit with The Record's editorial board. The company, which says it has provided mostly part time jobs for 5,200 drivers, has said it may leave the state if a bill approved last week by an Assembly panel, containing tough proposed regulations on ride sharing companies, becomes law. Whether a gap in insurance coverage exists is a bone of contention between Uber, NJ lawmakers, and insurance industry officials who support a requirement that Mohrer says is unnecessary, too costly and unfair. Currently, commercial coverage that Uber buys for its UberX freelance drivers, who use their own cars and must maintain their own personal auto insurance, kicks in at the point when a ride request is accepted through the company's smart phone app.

                                                                                                                                                        

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 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. 

                                                                                                                                                             

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