23¢ TAX INCREASE ON GAS AND 27¢ INCREASE ON DIESEL APPROVED -- WAITING FOR GOVERNOR CHRISTIE’S SIGNATURE

JOIN NJGCA POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE FOR DINNER AND A SHOW IN RED BANK ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2016

SUCCESSFUL BREAKFAST MEETING IN SPRINGFIELD ON WEDNESDAY

 
Last week’s Road Warrior was written before the Senate and Assembly approved the gas tax increase, but everything went just as we espected it would. After the vote, there was no need to send out a Wildfire Alert because there is a two-week implementation window which gives everyone plenty of time to prepare.  As of right now, the earliest the increase could go into effect is November 1^st.  If Governor Christie signs the bill after October 18^th, the implementation of the tax will occur two weeks after the date of the bill signing. 
 
Of course, this legislation is for a 23¢ increase in the gas tax and a 27¢ increase in the diesel tax.  The diesel tax will go into effect in two phases, January 1, 2017 and July 1, 2017, so you will not have to worry about raising those prices just yet! Very important to recall -- this increase will still be collected on your invoice and is not a new tax that you have to remit separately.  You may remember that this was one of NJGCA's main objections to adding sales tax to gasoline.
 
While you may want to prepare for an increase in volume pumped in the days leading up to the tax increase, don’t think that you'll be able to stock up on “cheaper” gas prior to the effective date!  The State will send you a tax return and will want to know how much inventory you had in the ground at midnight before the tax increase became effective, and they will want 23¢ for each and every gallon. Also, if other stations are thinking the same way and preparing to see a jump in volume in the days immediately prior to the tax increase, your supplier may not be able to accommodate your fuel requests.
 
Next a reminder about an event on Friday, October 21 in Red Bank to support the NJGCA Political Action Committee. We have a great evening planned, starting with a great dinner at Buona Sera Restaurant and then heading over to the Count Basie Theater for a hilarious show centered around the current national election.  The group is called The Capitol Steps. Click HERE to go to their website and see what they’re all about.  If you like good food and need to laugh at the state of politics today, you won’t want to miss this. Tickets are $300 each or $500 per couple. Your contributions will help NJGCA fight the important battles in Trenton to make sure that good policy is supported and bad public policy doesn’t stand a chance. We value our relationship with legislators in Trenton and have to make sure that our friends in Trenton get to stay there to keep fighting for our interests. Click HERE for the flyer and registration form. Checks are made payable to NJGCA PAC.  At this point in time it will be helpful if you call to alert us that you are mailing the registration and the check.  Thank you for your support.  I look forward to a very enjoyable evening!
 
Finally, we had another very successful breakfast meeting in our old stomping grounds of Springfield. It was great to see so many members from the old neighborhood, and I was encouraged by how many people came out. It’s nice to know they didn’t forget us in the year we were gone.  This group is famous for its strong opinions, and we had some passionate discussions on topics such as self-serve and the gas tax.  More than anything, these meetings are supposed to be informative and keep you up-to-date. I also want to answer any questions or clear up any confusion my members may have about where the organization stands on any given issue. I love when members discuss and engage with me because it means they're paying attention! However, both NJGCA staff and several attendees have lovingly chastised me for being too detailed. Hey, I love keeping members informed and try not to leave any stone unturned! Below, see some pictures from the event!

       
     $50 winner Joe Benham           Oil filter winner Harjinder Kehal            Motor oil winner Sahaj Patel

**Oil filter and motor oil prizes courtesy of Sponsor and MBP Hough Petroleum**

It was a full house at the West 22 Diner in Springfield on Wednesday 10/12.  Thanks to all the attendees and to the Sponsors who made this breakfast possible!

Thanks for reading -- See you all next week!

Sal Risalvato
Executive Director 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

CLASS DETAILS:
Class Date: Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Class Location: NJGCA Headquarters -- 4900 Route 33 West, Wall Twp, NJ 07753
Arrival Time: 7:00am (coffee and donuts will be served)
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.

10/12/2016:
Sinclair's Dino Finds New Stomping Ground in NJ
After visiting the area during last year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, Sinclair Oil Corp.'s familiar mascot is moving to the NY/NJ metropolitan area. M. Spiegel & Sons Oil Corp. of Tuxedo, NY -- and its SOS Xtreme Comfort and SOS Fuels units -- is leading the charge to bring the Sinclair fuel brand and its mascot, Dino, back to the East Coast. In January, the family-owned distributorship helped open the first new Sinclair station in New York since 1970. At one point in its history, the family operated roughly 200 Sinclair stations. In neighboring New Jersey, the Sinclair brand has also appeared at two new service stations in Budd Lake, a section of Mount Olive. These Spiegel-supplied locations were converted in June. Both are now owned by brothers, Faraz and Muhammad Sarfaraz. Another Spiegel-supplied location in Netcong, NJ, was rebranded to Sinclair in September. Five more Spiegel-supplied locations in New York and New Jersey are slated to be converted to the Sinclair brand in the coming months.
 
10/11/2016:
Amazon to Launch Convenience Stores
Amazon.com is moving into the brick-and-mortar world with plans to open convenience stores and curbside pickup locations, according to the Wall Street Journal. The small stores would offer produce, meats, milk and other perishable items. Customers could also order items with longer shelf lives, such as peanut butter and cereal, for same-day delivery. The retailer also plans to introduce designated drive-in locations where online grocery orders will be brought directly to a customer's car, according to sources familiar with the company. Amazon is developing technology that reads license plates in order to speed up this process. The brick-and-mortar stores, which are referred to inside the company as Project Como, are currently planned exclusively for members of its Fresh subscription service. Fresh, which offers same-day food delivery at set times, recently converted to a $15 monthly fee instead of its previous $299 annual membership. The monthly membership is available to members of Amazon's $99 Prime delivery service. The stores are aimed at consumers who like to pick up produce or bring home groceries on the way home from work. An Amazon spokeswoman declined to comment on the development of the stores and pick-up business.
 
09/30/2016:
California Today: $2 More for a Pack of Cigarettes?
Raise taxes. Lower the number of smokers. That’s the idea at the heart of a November ballot initiative that supporters say could save thousands of lives from tobacco-related health issues. A “yes” vote on Proposition 56 would add $2 to the existing tax on a pack of cigarettes, bringing it to a total state tax of $2.87 per pack.Bottom of Form It would be the first tax increase on cigarettes in California since 1998. “This is a long overdue hike,” said Tom Steyer, a philanthropist and leader of the Yes on 56 campaign. “And if you don’t smoke, you don’t pay.” Raising cigarette prices is proven to reduce smoking, public health experts say. California’s taxation of cigarettes has lagged behind most states. In Texas, the tax has been $1.41 a pack since 2007. New York charges $4.35, the highest in the country. Critics have portrayed such taxes as another example of state overreach and say such efforts unfairly target low-income smokers. But the central argument against the California measure has focused more on where the additional money will go. “It’s really a tax hike grab by insurance companies, hospital corporations and other wealthy special interests,” said Beth Miller, a spokeswoman for the No on 56 campaign. "Supporters say the goal is to cut smoking, but the measure would also help to shore up health care funding."