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January 17, 2019

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:

• Self-Serve in New Jersey; NJDEP 2019 Compliance Calendar Out Now; Update on UST Regulations; 2019 State of the State Address; Online Gambling/Lottery; NYC to Consider Mandated Vacation Time - Will it Come Here?; Safety Protocol

NJGCA CLASSIFIEDS
- Mercer County: Gas Station for Sale
- Monmouth County: Gas Station and Repair Shop Business Since 2001
- Bergen County: Shell Gas Station with 6-Bay Repair Shop for Sale

NEWS AROUND THE STATE

• Legislative Leaders’ Minimum Wage Proposal Offers Compromises
• Detroit Show Has SUVs, Horsepower, But Electric Cars Are Few
• U.S. Now Says All Online Gambling Illegal, Not Just Sports Bets
• Last Votes Needed To Legalize Marijuana In N.J. May Come From These 3 GOP Moderates.
• New Jersey Officials Confront Local Gas Station Accused Of Overcharging Drivers
• ‘This is Ridiculous’: Small-Business Owners Can’t Get Loans As Shutdown Enters Day 20
• California Bill May Require E-Receipt
• The Biggest War On Plastic Is In New Jersey And Bags, Straws May Not Survive

TRAINING CLASS SCHEDULE!

??????• EMISSIONS INSPECTOR TRAINING CLASS: MONDAY, January 28th, THURSDAY, February 28th, March TBD.
??????• ENTIRE EMISSION REPAIR TECHNICIAN PROGRAM: Coming Soon in February/March
??????• RECERTIFICATION EMISSION REPAIR TECHNICIAN PROGRAM: Coming Soon in February/March

MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE BOARD
• The Amato Agency: Garage Insurance and Workers Compensation!
• ATS Environmental: Confidence in your Tank & Compliance Testing
• Bellomo Fuel: Exceptional Service, Aggressive Petroleum Marketing
• CBIZ Insurance: Our Business is Growing Yours!
• Gill Energy: Getting you There!
• Lending Capital: "Commercial Loans Made Easy" Program
• Salomone Brothers: Tank Testing and Environmental Compliance
• 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!

Energy Information Agency Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE:

SELF-SERVE IN NEW JERSEY
NJDEP 2019 COMPLIANCE CALENDAR OUT NOW
UPDATE ON UST REGULATIONS
2019 STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS
ONLINE GAMBLING/LOTTERY
NYC TO CONSIDER MANDATED VACATION TIME - WILL IT COME HERE?
SAFETY PROTOCOL

SELF-SERVE IN NEW JERSEY:

Last week, a group of members had a very cordial lunch meeting with Senator Sarlo, who has previously sponsored legislation to promote self-serve in the Senate. He was a sponsor of self-serve in the past and wants to do it again. Together, we have been strategizing with members on how we can move forward on this. We know the convenience factor is slowly bringing motorists on to our side. In fact, I had a pleasant surprise Tuesday afternoon. I got in my car and as usual, tuned into the New Jersey 101.5 radio station. The discussion was about permitting self-serve in New Jersey. Unfortunately, I missed the entire hour of discussion and only heard the last three callers, but all three desired to see the law change so they could pump their own gas. In fact, the very last caller was expressing anger about waiting to be served at the gas pumps and observing so many other pumps blocked by orange cones. I began screaming at the radio in my car that that is what I always say! I was barely done screaming at my radio when the one of the hosts of the show, Jeff Deminski, expressed to the caller “that is what Sal Risalvato from NJGCA always says”! It is time for others to become more familiar with how self-serve gasoline would impact gas prices and convenience for customers. I am hoping that this debate will heat up soon.

NJDEP 2019 COMPLIANCE CALENDAR OUT NOW:

Several members have contacted us to ask if it was still required to complete the Compliance Calendars. The answer is TES. NJDEP released their 2019 update to the compliance calendar this month. We have posted the NJDEP Compliance Calendar to our website for your convenience. This should be used in conjunction with the NJDEP Operation and Maintenance Walkthrough Inspection Checklist, which should have been completed beginning October 13^th, 2018 and every 30 days thereafter. Both of those documents can be found by clicking HERE, or visiting our website and clicking the NJDEP Compliance Calendar image in the scrolling banner.

UPDATE ON UST REGULATIONS:

I learned this week from NJDEP compliance people that only 41% of UST registrations have been updated and meet the requirement of listing a Class A/B Operator. NJDEP notified me that they are going to begin sending out “Notices of Violation” in the mail rather than wait for the customary compliance inspection visit. If you have not updated your UST registration to list the Class A/B Operators at your site, you can expect one of these notices to arrive in the mail. DO NOT IGNORE IT! Middlesex County will be the first county to receive these notices. Other counties will follow shortly. NJDEP has agreed to give you 30 days to correct your UST registration and add the Class A/B Operator. Remember, you are not in compliance if you actually have a Class A/B Operator for your site, but have not updated your UST registration listing them. A few months ago, we posted a guidance document to walk you through this process of correcting your UST registration form, click HERE to view that guidance document.

For your convenience, NJDEP will also be hosting a seminar on these new UST and Vapor Recovery rules in order to become more familiar with compliance requirements. This will be very similar to the seminar we hosted last April for those of you who found the event useful as well as for those of you that unfortunately had to miss the event. NJGCA staff will also be in attendance, we encourage our members to sign up for this free event. Learn more and register for the event HERE.

2019 STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS:

Governor Murphy’s State of the State address took place Tuesday afternoon. There was nothing really new on his agenda that we did not already know about, however, he reinforced the fact that he will be putting added pressure on the legislature to get moving on raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour. Our sources are telling us that some of the recent compromises that we have reported may be abandoned by the legislature and they may be moving closer to the Governor’s position.

This week news came out that the U.S. Department of Justice has issued a new interpretation of the 1961 Wire Act, which appears to once again ban all forms of online gambling, including online lottery. The Wire Act was passed originally to crack down on mob activities by preventing gambling activities on interstate wires and phone lines. This language was long interpreted to include internet transactions, until 2011 when the Justice Department under the prior Administration decided that the law did not apply to the internet, which effectively legalized internet gambling and internet lottery.

ONLINE GAMBLING/LOTTERY

This week news came out that the U.S. Department of Justice has issued a new interpretation of the 1961 Wire Act, which appears to once again ban all forms of online gambling, including online lottery. The Wire Act was passed originally to crack down on mob activities by preventing gambling activities on interstate wires and phone lines. This language was long interpreted to include internet transactions, until 2011 when the Justice Department under the prior Administration decided that the law did not apply to the internet, which effectively legalized internet gambling and internet lottery.

After years of pressure, this interpretation has now been formally revoked by the current Justice Department, making internet lottery illegal. It is, however, likely that the DOJ will be sued by several state governments over this, including the handful that have some form of internet lottery and/or the ones (like New Jersey) which have come to rely on internet casino gambling and poker. There will also be pressure on Congress for them to change the law to allow states to decide whether or not to offer online gaming. It is also possible that the law (or its interpretation) may be altered to allow online gaming if it is very strictly gated to ensure all the activity occurs only within state borders. For now, strictly from the perspective of brick-and-mortar retailers, this is a very positive step in holding back the pressure for internet lottery, which would take customers out of your stores.

NYC TO CONSIDER MANDATED VACATION TIME – WILL IT COME HERE?:

You’ve heard me say it before, how bad ideas from New York always seem to spread to New Jersey. The Mayor of NYC Bill De Blasio, who is a borderline socialist and continues to inflict costs and burdens on businesses in NYC, is now proposing mandatory two weeks paid vacation for every employee, including part-timers. This will be in addition to paid sick leave laws. This was reported in the news this week and because of the infectious nature of New York’s stupid laws, we will be keeping our eye on this.

SAFETY PROTOCOL:

Finally, I want to end on an extremely important topic: talking about safety procedures and policies in your workplace with your employees. I’m sure you all have read about the recent incidents in New Jersey and Long Island that both resulted in the death of two gas station employees. These stories are being widely reported. I want both of these instances to serve as a reminder how you should be instructing your attendants and store clerks that safety and their lives is what is most important. They should comply with violent criminals and not risk their lives for a few dollars in cash. There is no need to be a hero, it is better to stay alive. I think it is important that you use both of these recent examples in a discussion with your employees to remind them of safety first.

That's all for this week-

Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

TRAINING CLASSES
All classes held at NJGCA HQ -- 4900 Route 33 West, Wall Township, NJ 07753

Emissions Inspector Training Class - One Day Only!
MONDAY, January 28th, 2019 -- 7 AM to 3 PM
THURSDAY, February 28th, 2019 -- 7 AM to 3 PM
OR
March TBD -- 7 AM to 3 PM

Want one of your technicians to become a NJ Emissions Inspector? We can help! Our one-day class will provide all the information for becoming a NJ Emissions Inspector, and the State will administer the written test the very same day at our offices! We are offering the class: Monday, January 28th, Thursday, February 28th, and Tuesday, March 26th from 7:00am to 3:00pm. Cost is $275 for members. Click HERE for January, and HERE for February registration forms. March date coming soon.

Want to become an emission repair technician/facility?
Entire Emission Technician Education Program (ETEP) Training Classes
Sections 1-7
1 PM to 9 PM
February through March: Exact dates coming soon!

Sections 8, 9, 10 (RECERTIFICATION)
1 PM to 9 PM
February through March: Exact dates coming soon!

Stop turning away work!

The New Jersey Inspection Program requires vehicles that fail emissions inspection to go to a Licensed Certified Emission Repair Facility and have a Licensed Emission Repair Technician perform the repairs! When the new Emissions Inspection program begins, a list of Certified Emission Repair Facilities will be given to the vehicle owners who fail the New Jersey Emission Inspection. If you want your business name on the list – make sure you have a Certified Licensed Emission Repair Technician and you are licensed as a Emission Repair Facility! Those signing up for the FULL training course will attend sections 1-10. Full ETEP class fees for members are $2,195 and non-members are $2,395. Recertification fees for members are $729 and non-members are $879.

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

NEW!
FOR SALE:
GAS STATION FOR SALE
EWING NEW JERSEY
OWNER RETIRING
CALL: 609-882-1105

FOR SALE:

Business For Sale: Monmouth County gas station and repair shop in business since 2001 is for sale. Owner is relocating out of state and is interested in selling business and equipment. Owner is open to limited financing. Business has a strong 10 year lease. The building has two repair bays and the gas pumps are leased to a large independent tenant. Repair shop business currently employs a Manager and two full-time Technicians. For inquiries and more info, please call Mark at 908-670-7798.

FOR SALE:

Shell Gas Station with 6-Bay Repair Shop for Sale in Bergen County!

Business established in 1980. Fully equipped repair shop with 5 lifts including an alignment rack with a 2-year-old Hunter Hawkeye alignment machine. New Hunter tire machine & wheel balancer. AAA approved and very busy.

Towing business also available which includes 3 Freightliner/JerrDan flatbeds (2015, 2016 & 2017), a 2012 Dodge crew cab wrecker with a Jerrdan Quick Pick & dual cable winch & 2 service trucks (a 2012 GMC 2500 utility truck with a plow & a 2014 Ford transit battery/service vehicle).

Pumping over 1,000,000 gallons per year. 100x300 lot with plenty of parking. Excellent location!!! Call Jim @ 201-851-3084.

NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

1/15/19
Legislative Leaders’ Minimum Wage Proposal Offers Compromises
Democratic legislative leaders presented Gov. Phil Murphy with a minimum wage proposal last month that reduces the time period for how long certain groups would get to $15 an hour, a plan that is less stringent than earlier proposals, according to a document obtained by POLITICO. The proposal guarantees that most workers would see their wages rise to $15 by 2024. Seasonal workers and employees at small businesses would reach $15 by 2027, rather than by 2029, a provision included in Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin’s original proposal. Teenagers would not be exempt in the lawmakers’ bill, and farmworkers‘ wages would hit $12.50 within five years, after which a study would be conducted to determine whether to increase that wage $15 an hour.

1/15/19
Detroit Show Has SUVs, Horsepower, But Electric Cars Are Few
Automakers have promised to start selling hordes of electric cars in the next few years, but only two will be unveiled at the big Detroit auto show that kicks off this week — and those aren’t even ready for production. Meanwhile, there will be plenty of SUVs and high-horsepower sports cars on display as cheap gasoline helps SUV and truck sales continue their dramatic climb. So how credible is the industry’s pledge to move toward fuel-efficient vehicles when it keeps cranking out more lucrative trucks and sport utilities?

1/14/19
U.S. Now Says All Online Gambling Illegal, Not Just Sports Bets
The U.S. Justice Department now says federal law bars all internet gambling, reversing its position from 2011 that only sports betting is prohibited under a law passed 50 years earlier. The reversal was prompted by the department’s criminal division, which prosecutes illegal gambling. The opinion issued about seven years ago that the 1961 Wire Act only banned sports gambling was a misinterpretation of the statute, according to a 23-page opinion by the department’s Office of Legal Counsel dated Nov. 2 and made public Monday. The new reading of the law probably will be tested in the courts as judges may entertain challenges to the government’s view of the law’s scope, the Justice Department said. It may also affect states that began selling lottery tickets online after the 2011 opinion, as well as casinos that offer online gambling.

1/14/19
Last Votes Needed To Legalize Marijuana In N.J. May Come From These 3 GOP Moderates.
With Democrats who lead the state Senate still tantalizingly short of votes needed to legalize recreational marijuana in New Jersey, a triumvirate of moderate Republican senators has emerged to seize the moment. Sensing they are at a point of maximum leverage, state Sens. Declan O’Scanlon, R-Monmouth, Christopher “Kip” Bateman, R-Somerset, and Chris Brown, R-Atlantic, want a package of concessions from Gov. Phil Murphy that could give the freshman Democratic governor the votes he needs — and Republicans a shot at previously unimaginable spending reforms.

1/11/19
New Jersey Officials Confront Local Gas Station Accused Of Overcharging Drivers
Ever wonder if you get what you pay for at the pump? One New Jersey man thought something was fishy after a recent fill up at the gas station and now he is warning other drivers to check their receipts. Normally most people pull up to the station, hand over their credit card, and say “fill it up,” but do you always check to see the total at the pump matches the total charged to your card?

1/10/19
‘This is Ridiculous’: Small-Business Owners Can’t Get Loans As Shutdown Enters Day 20
The Small Business Administration stopped processing new loans on Dec. 22. Troxler and thousands of others can’t get their SBA loans approved, meaning they can’t get money they need to start or expand their companies. . . President Trump has said the shutdown could last “months or even years,” a scenario that is starting to alarm banks and business owners, who returned from a quieter holiday week to find that parts of the economy are essentially frozen. So far, the U.S. economy continues to power ahead despite the closure of about a quarter of the federal government. JPMorgan estimates the U.S. economy is losing more than $1.5 billion a week because of the shutdown, a fraction of the $20 trillion economy.

1/10/19
California Bill May Require E-Receipt
Legislation introduced in California this week seeks to aid the environment and lessen the exposure of consumers and employees to chemical compounds. If Assembly Bill 161 passes, California businesses may be required to provide customers with an electronic receipt instead of a printed one, unless the paper version is specifically requested by 2022. "There's a negative impact on the environment with these receipts and the inability to recycle them," said Assemblyman Phil Ting, who introduced the legislation.

1/10/19
The Biggest War On Plastic Is In New Jersey And Bags, Straws May Not Survive
The global push to ban everyday plastic products that litter oceans and waterways has no greater fight in the U.S. in 2019 than in New Jersey where the most far-reaching set of plastics regulations in the nation is slowly making its way through Trenton. Manufacturers and retailers are gearing up to defeat a bill that would ban plastic bags, foam containers and plastic straws, fearing passage in New Jersey could prompt other states to adopt similar regulations.

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 PARTICIPATION: 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.

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 reflective of self-serve everywhere except NJ.