If you cannot see the message, please click here

October 08, 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:

GREETINGS & SAL-UTATIONS!

• Recap: Hurricane Joaquin Storm Prep and Media Frenzy; Raise Tobacco Purchase Age to 21 in Hillsdale; Freeholders Urge State Legislators to Raise Minimum Wage to $15; NJGCA Diner Tour - 10/14 in West Milford and 10/21 in North Arlington!

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

• ‘Tobacco to 21’ Bills Introduced in U.S. Congress
• Editorial: Drivers need to take ownership of road safety
• Opinion: Swapping estate tax for higher fuel taxes: A perfectly terrible idea
• Drivers in N.J. and N.Y. pay one-third of all tolls collected in U.S.

TRAINING CLASS SCHEDULE!
• Emission Inspector Training Class on Tues, December 8, 2015
• ETEP Re-Cert, Sections 8, 9 and 10 in South Jersey (Wall Twp)!

MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE BOARD
•Gill Energy: Getting you There!
•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!

*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!

RECAP OF HURRICANE JOAQUIN STORM PREP & MEDIA FRENZY
EFFORTS TO RAISE TOBACCO PURCHASE AGE IN HILLSDALE
ESSEX COUNTY FREEHOLDERS URGE STATE TO RAISE MIN. WAGE TO $15
NJGCA DINER TOUR: 10/14 IN WEST MILFORD & 10/21 IN NORTH ARLINGTON

Last week, we were preparing for what could have been another terrible storm. I spent the better part of two days fielding phone calls and interview requests from reporters and media outlets who wanted to know how many gas stations installed generators in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Thankfully, the storm fizzled out and we weren't put in another difficult position, but I used this opportunity to remind everyone that in a situation like we experienced in Superstorm Sandy, our problems would not have been resolved by generators. The only thing that could've reduced gas lines was addressing the reasons that gas stations were unable to receive their deliveries of gasoline. Here is some news coverage from last week. Take note that we were able to have two of our members participate in this coverage, because we knew about their generators. If you are one of the stations who has installed a generator (either through the State Program or on your own) please advise us so that we can have a list on-hand for the next storm!

News 12 New Jersey
CBS-2 NY News [6:00PM]
Eyewitness News [6:00 PM ABC]

Last week, I told you about Hillsdale's proposal to raise the tobacco purchase age to 21 years old. Eric has been successful in finding a couple of business owners in Hillsdale that will accompany us to the Town Council meeting on Tuesday, October 13, when the proposal will be introduced. We are hoping for a positive result. At the very least, I don't think that the members of the Town Council will be insulting to local business owners, which means they will be less insulting to me (hopefully). Obviously I don't care about being insulted, I wear it like a badge of honor but when a governing body is insulting to me, it just means that my battle is tougher and it is more difficult to accomplish what I am there to accomplish. We will continue to keep you updated on this fight.

I want to draw your attention to another serious issue: The Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders passed a resolution urging state officials to bump New Jersey's minimum wage up to $15 an hour, county officials have confirmed. Although Essex County was the first county to pass such a resolution, which calls on the NJ Legislature and the Governor to support legislation that would increase the minimum wage from its current $8.38 an hour, NJ Working Families representatives say several other Freeholder Boards across the state are considering similar resolutions. With proposals like this, and many other employment issues, growing larger everyday, it is more and more important that we are successful in our fight to permit self-serve gasoline.

Finally, I want to make an announcement about NJGCA's Diner tour coming up at the West Milford Diner on Wednesday, 10/14. We will be back up in the Northern part of the State on 10/21 for our meeting at the Arlington Diner. We hope that our multiple trips will allow us to reach as many members as possible. Remember, if you RSVP to our email(s), you will save yourself, your staff, and my staff, from the time- consuming process of multiple follow-up phone calls and emails. Thank you to the members that have already RSVPed and we look forward to seeing you this month! With any questions, please call Jacy at 732-256-9646 or reply to the email.

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

Regards,
Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

TRAINING CLASSES!!

In order to be licensed as a Motor Vehicle Emission Inspector, you must complete this course and pass a "Written Exam" given by the State of New Jersey. NJGCA offers this training in a ONE DAY State approved training program that will provide an understanding of inspection related issues including EPA Regulations, Safety, Diesel, Customer Service and the New Jersey State Specific Curriculum. This specially tailored NJGCA course fulfills all requirements.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

CLASS DETAILS:
Class Date: Tuesday, December 08, 2015
Class Location: NJGCA Headquarters -- 4900 Route 33 West, Wall Twp, NJ 07753
Arrival Time: 7:00am
Lunch Break: 12:00pm (Pizza and soda will be served)
NJMVC Test: 1:00pm

CLASS FEES:
NJGCA Members: $250.00
Non-members: $300.00

Manuals are included and payment is due upon registration. All credit cards are accepted.

License Fee: Bring a $50.00 check made payable to NJMVC to satisfy the State's licensing fee.

PLEASE NOTE: If you live out of state, you must bring 6 points of ID with you, such as a license, passport, healthcare card, utility bill, etc.

ETEP Re-Cert, Sections 8, 9 and 10 being offered in SOUTH Jersey (Wall Twp) -- DAY and EVENING Classes Available!

For Class Informational Flyer, please click here.
For Class Registration Form, please click here.

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

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

10/07/2015:
‘Tobacco to 21’ Bills Introduced in U.S. Congress
This past week, bills titled the “Tobacco to 21 Act” were introduced in the US Senate and the US House to prohibit the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21. The bill numbers are Senate Bill 2100 and House Bill 3656. The Senate bill was introduced by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and has nine other Democratic co- sponsors. No Republican senators co-sponsored Senate Bill 2100, and none of the Democratic sponsors were from NJ. The House bill was introduced by Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colorado) and has one other co-sponsor, Rep. Mark Takai (D-Hawaii). Like the Senate version, no Republicans signed onto the bill as a co-sponsor. This year, 11 state legislatures, including NJ, also engaged in the debate over raising the legal age to purchase and use tobacco products. Moreover, an increasing number of cities and towns have also considered, and some have enacted, higher minimum purchase ages.

10/07/2015:
Editorial: Drivers need to take ownership of road safety
To look at it on a recent gray, wet and chilly afternoon, you'd never guess that Route 156 in Hamilton has the dubious distinction of having the highest crash rate for a state road or interstate in NJ. It's hard to imagine that the 1-mile road that meanders past residential houses with two lanes divided by a yellow center line racked up 14.09 crashes per million vehicle miles traveled in 2014, the worst in the state, according to the NJ Department of Transportation. That compares with longer, more heavily traveled roads such as Route 1, which logged 3.79 crashes per million vehicle miles traveled. But like all figures, they have to be put in perspective. Route 156 runs parallel to much busier Route 130, with both ends of Route 156 emptying into Route 130, making 156 a feeder road to 130. These short feeder roads linking much bigger highways run the risk of having inflated crash rates, explained Steve Carrellas, a professional engineer and coordinator of the National Motorist's Association state chapter.

10/05/2015
Opinion: Swapping estate tax for higher fuel taxes: A perfectly terrible idea
Gordon MacInnes, president of New Jersey Policy Perspective, which is a "nonpartisan, nonprofit organization devoted to independent research that promotes shared prosperity and widespread economic opportunity in the Garden State" calls the idea of an elimination or reduction in the estate and inheritance taxes a "hefty price tag on higher fuel taxes." To read MacInnes three reasons that this swap is a perfectly terrible idea, please click on the link above.

10/05/2015:
Drivers in N.J. and N.Y. pay one-third of all tolls collected in U.S.
The top three tolling agencies in the country are all in the NY-NJ region, and together account for nearly a third of all tolls collected nationwide, an industry group says. The top three are: the NJ Turnpike Authority, which collected $1.42 billion in tolls on the Turnpike and Parkway in 2013; the Port Authority of NY and NJ, which took in $1.33 billion at its four bridges and two tunnels linking the two states; and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which collected $1.23 billion at its NYC bridges and tunnels. The top ten list was compiled by the International Bridges, Tunnels and Turnpike Association (IBTTA), a group based in Washington, DC. The $4 billion in tolls the three agencies took in was nearly 1/3 of the $13 billion collected from motorists nationwide, the IBTTA found.

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 (3) weeks. NJGCA will begin including this list with the Weekly Road Warrior. Remember, these prices are for reflective of self-serve everywhere except NJ.

Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices, Regular Grade, by Week and PADD (Self Service Prices per Gallon, Including Taxes)

Date                                           9/21/2015                  9/28/2015             10/5/2015
U.S.                                           2.327         2.322                    2.318
PADD 1 - East Coast                 2.202                         2.185                    2.172
PADD 1a - New England               2.291         2.256         2.230
PADD 1b - Central Atlantic        2.294         2.255                    2.220
PADD 1c - Lower Atlantic          2.107         2.113                     2.118
PADD 2 - Midwest                             2.271                          2.325                    2.352
PADD 3 - Gulf Coast                     2.025                        2.015                      2.035
PADD 4 - Rocky Mountain                  2.606                        2.539                       2.477
PADD 5 - West Coast                         2.911                        2.836                       2.785
PADD 5b - West Coast less CA          2.634                        2.562         2.503
California                                           3.072                         2.994           2.949