March 24, 2016

Dear NJGCA Member:

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

Here is what you will find in this edition:

CHANGES TO MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION PROGRAM - MAY 1, 2016
WATCH HOW FAST A CREDIT CARD SKIMMER CAN BE INSTALLED
OMNIA - OFFERING NEW OPTIONS IN HEALTHCARE THROUGH AMT
ATTEMPTS TO MANDATE FREE COMPRESSED AIR, HEMPSTEAD, NY

If you have an auto repair shop or PIF/ERF license, you should have received a notice this week from Motor Vehicle Commission with the new regulatory guidelines that will govern inspections as of May 1, 2016. The new contractor has not yet been selected and a new contract has not yet been awarded, but some changes will take effect on May 1. THIS MEMO will answer the questions that many of you have been asking recently, such as, "will vehicles prior to the 1996 model year still be inspected?," and many others. Regarding an update on the new inspection program, I've heard absolutely zero, as expected. Once the bids were submitted on February 22, a total blackout began (which I knew in advance) and no one at MVC will communicate with me... nor have I asked them to. Obviously, as soon as any new information is announced, I will share it with you.

Next, the topic of credit card skimmers comes up occassionally, but I haven't spent as much time on it as much as maybe I should, because I haven't (thankfully) had members bringing any catastrophes to my attention. However, at this point that might be purely a matter of good luck, because it is becoming a bigger problem at the gas pumps, at convenience stores and even in repair shops, as thieves keep coming up with more ways to steal your money and your customers' money. I'd like you all to view this video and watch it carefully, to see how quickly and easily a skimmer could be attached to your credit card equipment. The video is only a minute long, but it takes MUCH LESS than that to install the device. It would also be helpful if you would inform me if you do unfortunately run into a fraud problem with credit cards, so I can keep all members updated. I expect to discuss this issue more in the future.

Next, anyone who has paid attention surely could not have missed the contentious new OMNIA health insurance programs introduced by Horizon Blue Cross. The new policies have lowered the cost of premiums that businesses must pay to provide health coverage for their employees! However, it selects certain hospitals as "winners," leaving out other hospitals who then become "losers." The controversy has even caused lawmakers in Trenton to consider legislation to stop Horizon from implementing these policies. As of yet, no action has been taken, and it is looking unlikely that the Legislature will outlaw these health plans.

The good news for NJGCA members is that our NJGCA Members-only health coverage provided by Association Master Trust (AMT) is administered by Horizon Blue Cross. AMT now has several policies set up to utilize the new OMNIA network that should save our members a considerable amount of money on healthcare premiums BUT AMT is awaiting approval from the Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI) to begin marketing these new plans. If you are an NJGCA member and do not purchase health coverage through our Members-only program with AMT, you must consider investigating these new plans that could save you thousands! And if you are already in an AMT plan, you may want to consider enrolling your business in an OMNIA plan that can still save you even more money than you are already saving! These plans may not be for everybody, however you owe it to your bottom line to at least investigate.

I wrote an op-ed about NJGCA's support for this introduction of OMNIA plans, and how it will save small business owners hard-earned money. You can read my op-ed HERE and I will let you know if any of the newspapers print it.

Finally, let me discuss an action that is taking place on Long Island, NY, which I consider a cancer. Now, although we don't have any members in NY, I'm scared that this cancer could spread, and since parts of New Jersey are less than 30 miles from Hempstead, NY where this action is taking place, I want to be on high alert.

The town of Hempstead wants to require all gasoline retail locations, or anyone that conducts auto repairs, to have a hose available for the public to get FREE compressed air for their tires! When I was in business in the 80s and 90s, I actually did provide free air for my customers, but I can't tell you how many times I considered installing air vending equipment to make some badly-needed money. Not only did I replace countless air hoses, air nozzles and gauges because unappreciative and inconsiderate motorists damaged the equipment, but I still remember the startlingly loud noise of the air compressor engaging each time a customer was filling their tire, not to mention the cost of the electricity required to run the compressor, as well. Like many of you my office was in the back storage room that also was home to the air compressor. Phone conversations were difficult when the compressor kicked on.

Although many of you with service stations and stand alone auto repair shops still provide free air for your customers, there are many of you who have made a new profit center and utilize air vending equipment. Most of you have patronized our Member Benefit Partner, Service Station Vending Equipment (SSVE) to install the equipment. And ALL of you who do so have reported enormous profits. We have a serious interest in stopping this proposal in Hempstead, NY dead in its tracks, and as such I have written to the Mayor and Council in Hempstead opposing their proposal. Click here to read the letter. There is a hearing scheduled for next Tuesday, and I am trying to rearrange my schedule to travel to Long Island to support our colleagues there. I will keep you updated.

Happy Easter to all!

Thanks for reading -- See you all next week!

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!!

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

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

3/22/2016:
Measure to hike California's minimum wage to $15 qualifies for ballot
A proposal to raise California's minimum wage to $15 an hour by the year 2021 has qualified to be listed on the upcoming November ballot in the state, officials said. The development comes as a wave of minimum wage increases at the state level sweeps the US as the federal minimum wage has gone more than six years without an increase from $7.25 an hour. The California Secretary of State's office said supporters of the measure, pushed by labor group coalition Lift Up California, had gathered more than the 400,000 signatures needed to have the Fair Wage Act of 2016 placed on the ballot. The measure would build on the efforts of Los Angeles lawmakers, who last year passed a law hiking the city's minimum wage to $15 by 2020. The measure would boost the state's minimum wage to $11 an hour in 2017, and increase it by a dollar an hour every year until reaching $15 an hour in 2021. After 2021, the minimum wage would be adjusted annually based on the rate of inflation.

3/21/2016:
Gas prices are increasing to top $2 a gallon, here's why
Exactly one month ago, New Jersey drivers were reveling in low gas prices that dipped to the $1.30 mark. Now, experts say we're on the road to top $2 a gallon. "Prices are going up and we can probably say we're going up over $2, said Tom Kloza, analyst for the Oil Price Information Service. "We have the highest crude oil prices since Dec. 3." Drivers hit the road on Monday to find gas averaged $1.73 a gallon in New Jersey, which increased from Fridays $1.71 average price, as reported by GasBuddy.com. Crude oil prices have been increasing since March 15, taking a brief break after poking over the $40 a barrel mark to settle at $39.47 by the end of the trading day on Friday, according to the NASDAQ website tracking the commodities markets. That is despite a record amount of 523 million barrels of crude oil in storage, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.

03/17/2016:
Carl’s Jr. CEO wants to try automated restaurant where customers ‘never see a person’
A CEO of a fast-food company is causing a stir on social media after claiming that he wants to create a fully automated restaurant. “We could have a restaurant that’s focused on all-natural products and is much like an Eatsa, where you order on a kiosk, you pay with a credit or debit card, your order pops up, and you never see a person,” Carl’s Jr. CEO Andy Puzder told Business Insider. Puzder says the automated restaurant would be cheaper since he wouldn’t have to worry about rising minimum wage. “If you’re making labor more expensive, and automation less expensive -- it isn't rocket science,” Puzder said. “They’re always polite, they always upsell, they never take a vacation, they never show up late, there’s never a slip-and-fall, or an age, sex, or race discrimination case,” says Puzder of swapping employees for machines. “Millennials like not seeing people. I’ve been inside restaurants where we’ve installed ordering kiosks… and I’ve actually seen young people waiting in line to use the kiosk where there’s a person standing behind the counter, waiting on nobody.”

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 for reflective of self-serve everywhere except NJ.