If you cannot see the message, please click here

May 2, 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:

• Visa/Mastercard Update; ECo Nozzle Requirement; NJGCA New Course For All Levels of Technicians; Minivan Giveaway

NJGCA CLASSIFIEDS
- Mercer County: Gas Station for Sale
- Monmouth County: Gas Station and Repair Shop Business Since 2001

NEWS AROUND THE STATE

• What Is CBD? Is It In Gummies And Vape Pens? Where Can I Get It?
• Salt Workaround For Small Businesses In NJ Misses The Boat
• Murphy Planning 2019 Trade Trip To India With EDA, Choose New Jersey
• Sorry Speedway, Judges Say You Still Can’t Try To Undersell Your Gas Competitors
• Speedway Not Allowed To Sell Gas For Super-Cheap, NJ Courts Say
• Never Mind The Sunburn, Gas Prices Are What’s Going To Sting N.J. Drivers This Summer
• Big Tobacco Is Morphing Into Big Vape

TRAINING CLASS SCHEDULE!

??????• ENTIRE EMISSION REPAIR TECHNICIAN PROGRAM: May 1, 8, 15, 22, June 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26
??????• RECERTIFICATION EMISSION REPAIR TECHNICIAN PROGRAM: May 1, 8, 15, 22

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

JOIN NJGCA ON FACEBOOK -- CLICK HERE
TO SEE OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL -- CLICK HERE
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER-- CLICK HERE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE:

VISA/MASTERCARD UPDATE
ECo NOZZLE REQUIREMENT
NJGCA NEW COURSE FOR ALL LEVELS OF TECHNICIANS
MINIVAN GIVEAWAY

VISA/MASTERCARD SETTLEMENT UPDATE

With regard to the Visa Mastercard settlement that we've recently talked about and you may have gotten a notification in the mail about; you will soon receive another piece of mail with an estimate of the amount of money that you can expect in the settlement based on what Visa and Mastercard says are the interchange fees that you paid from January 2004 through 2018. If you plan to dispute the amount, I hope you have been keeping very detailed records. The attorneys that worked on this case are aware that there may be some potential problems if you processed your credit cards through your oil company. It is not clear yet if they are going to claim some or all of the damages as it was they who paid Visa and Mastercard. Of course, our argument is that you paid it and passed it through them. This is yet to be determined. Several oil companies have already indicated that they will handle things differently from each other, with one indicating that they will make sure all of the settlement goes to their dealers, and another saying they will keep the settlement for themselves.

ECo NOZZLE REQUIREMENT

By now you should have all received your April On the Road newsletter. I want to bring your attention to a notice we posted from NJDEP on page 40, it is very important for those of you without phase II vapor recovery. This message was sent from Mike Hollis at NJDEP:

7:27-16.3(g)3 requires CARB certified enhanced conventional (ECo) nozzles at facilities without phase 2 vapor recovery. Up until very recently, no product has received final CARB certification. I confirmed with representatives of OPW and ARB yesterday that the OPW 14e is now CARB approved. Since there is now an available nozzle that is CARB approved, any new installation or decommissioning must now install these (any subsequent ECo nozzle that receives CARB approval can obviously be used as well). Existing sites must switch to ECo nozzles upon nozzle replacement.

NJGCA TECHNICAL COURSE

I want to send another reminder to our members about the Enhanced DVOM Diagnostic Strategies technical course we will be offering in June. This course is intended for all technician levels (A, B, and C) and will be taught by the experienced and highly qualified instructors at East Training. Even the most experienced mechanics will find this course useful. Again, these are technical courses, this is not a seminar! The course will be offered in two night increments. The first course for North Jersey members will be June 5th and 6th in Ridgefield Park at Westview Service and hosted by NJGCA Treasurer Tim Arata. The second will be June 12th and 13th in Forked River at Lacey Auto Care hosted by member Rich Ritchie. Click HERE to see the flier which lists both sessions and location addresses, and click HERE to register for the event online. If you are interested in attending, make sure you register early; space is limited!

MINIVAN GIVEAWAY

NJGCA member and Board Vice President Joe Ocello recently announced an incredible opportunity to help a family in need. Do you know of a family that could benefit from having a minivan? If so, please send your submissions to info@joestowingpitcrew.comwith your contact information and a brief description of the family before May 15th. Joe and his team at Joe’s Towing and Auto/Pit Crew Lube will pick a winner and will give the car away May 25th. For more information, see their Facebook page.

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

Want to become an emission repair technician/facility?
Entire Emission Technician Education Program (ETEP) Training Classes
Sections 1-7
1 PM to 9 PM
May 1, 8, 15, 22
June 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26

Sections 8, 9, 10 (RECERTIFICATION)
1 PM to 9 PM
May 1, 8, 15, 22

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. Note for Spring 2018 classes: Recertification dates will be held FIRST, with sections 1 to 7 to follow.

Click here for FULL ETEP REGISTRATION FORM
Click here for ETEP RECERTIFICATION FORM

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

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.

NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

5/1/19
What Is CBD? Is It In Gummies And Vape Pens? Where Can I Get It?
You’ve probably seen it at a gas station or bodega, or maybe even a health store, if we’re using the word “health” lightly. Hell, you might have come across it in food at a trendy restaurant. CBD is everywhere now, a wildly popular potential solution to a litany of health problems. Can’t sleep? Have some CBD oil. Knee pain? Rub some CBD lotion on it. . .But what is it? Is CBD legal? Does it work? Does it get you high? Let’s take a look.

4/30/19
Salt Workaround For Small Businesses In NJ Misses The Boat
A bipartisan bill that would have restored a full federal SALT deduction for many New Jersey small businesses didn’t cross the finish line before this month’s tax-filing deadline, delaying potentially significant savings by at least a year. The measure was designed to help residents who have what are known as “pass-through” entities, including partnerships, limited-liability corporations and so-called S corporations, by allowing them to reclassify their state taxes in a way that would make them fully deductible under federal law. It wouldn’t have cost the state any revenue, according to the Legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal analysts, but the potential annual savings for the businesses were estimated by accountants to be as high as $800 million.

4/29/19
Murphy Planning 2019 Trade Trip To India With EDA, Choose New Jersey
EDA CEO Tim Sullivan, second from left, talks with reporters and businesspeople at a roundtable hosted by the Indian Business Association. Gov. Phil Murphy could join the Economic Development Authority and Choose New Jersey for an economic trip to India this fall, following a similar outline of the trip last year to Germany and Israel.

4/25/19
Sorry Speedway, Judges Say You Still Can’t Try To Undersell Your Gas Competitors
Speedway’s continued attempts to sell gas cheaper than its competitors was dealt another blow this week. The company has argued that an 80-year-old state law that regulates gas prices violated the company’s civil rights and infringed on its right to sell its product. . .In 2017, Speedway filed a complaint with the state Superior Court in Middlesex County, which later dismissed its claims, but then appealed the decision. Two appellate court judges upheld the lower court’s ruling on Wednesday and said the law is a “rational, necessary restraint on the market, and is in the public interest."

4/25/19
Speedway Not Allowed To Sell Gas For Super-Cheap, NJ Courts Say
Speedway’s effort to sell gasoline at super-low prices hit another roadblock this week when state judges again rejected the retail giant’s constitutional challenge of New Jersey’s price controls. . .Gasoline price wars used to be common in New Jersey. Cut-throat price drops can be good for consumers — until the low prices put the weakest merchants out of business, allowing the remaining stores, no longer facing competition, to jack up prices. In an appellate decision on Wednesday, a two-judge panel rejected Speedway’s arguments that the law violated the company’s civil rights and due process under the state and federal constitutions and law. . . The New Jersey Gasoline Convenience Store & Automotive Association, a trade group representing gas stations, has fought such efforts and opposed the Speedway lawsuit against the state.

4/25/19
Never Mind The Sunburn, Gas Prices Are What’s Going To Sting N.J. Drivers This Summer
Feel that pain in your wallets, Jersey drivers? The price of a gallon of regular gas is predicted to hit an average price of $3 by Memorial Day, just in time for those summer road trips, experts said. Some states, including neighboring Pennsylvania, have already hit the $3 a gallon mark for regular, said Tom Kloza, Oil Pricing Information Service global petroleum analyst. . .On Thursday morning, the average price for a gallon of regular in the state was $2.89, according to Gas Buddy.com. The national average also was $2.89. That’s pocket change away from the $3 mark.

4/25/19
Big Tobacco Is Morphing Into Big Vape
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said last week he plans to introduce a bill raising the minimum age for tobacco products from 18 to 21. This is a peculiar turn of events: McConnell’s home state of Kentucky is a major tobacco-producing state, and Republicans aren’t typically eager to regulate business. What’s going on? The key to understanding McConnell’s proposal is its endorsement by Altria Group Inc., the largest tobacco producer in the U.S. And the key to understanding Altria’s endorsement is its $12.8 billion stake in Juul Labs Inc., the largest player in the vaping industry.

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.