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April 25, 2014
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:
•NJGCA research project on gas station crimes; The Marketplace and Rising Prices; OTRs are in your mailbox, please read closely
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NJGCA CLASSIFIEDS
•BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY IN SPRINGFIELD, NJ!
SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS AND LET US HELP YOU!!
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NEWS AROUND THE STATE
•Complete details of the FDA's proposal to regulate e-cigs
•Tesla will debut first supercharger station in N.J. this week amid car sales dispute
•Robbers hit three Union County service stations, police say
•NJ gas prices at highest levels in 7 months after seasonal fuel grade switch
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TRAINING CLASS SCHEDULE!
•NJ Emission Inspector Training Class
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MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE BOARD
•Choose BatteryCorp for Back-Up Power and Site Management!
•TMP Energy Solutions: Another Way to Save On Your Energy Bills!
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POLITICAL PARTICIPATON: THE NJGCA PAC
•Participate in the NJGCA PAC today and help us keep our Agenda rolling in Trenton! |
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THE MEMBER TOOL BOX
•On the NJGCA Homepage
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JOIN NJGCA ON FACEBOOK -- CLICK HERE
TO SEE OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL -- CLICK HERE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE: GREETINGS & SAL-UTATIONS!
NJGCA RESEARCH PROJECT ON GAS STATION CRIME
THE MARKETPLACE AND RISING PRICES
OTRs ARE IN YOUR MAILBOX -- PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
Last week's Road Warrior included a link to a survey about crimes committed at gas stations. This week, I read in the newspaper that three different gas station attendants in Union County were robbed in a 24-hour period. To read the article about the robberies, click here. This unfortunate series of events highlights the necessity of the research project that NJGCA is working on. The survey results will provide NJGCA and the industry with information and knowledge that can be implemented to reduce economic losses due to crime, reduce personal injury and harm associated with crime and violence, improve quality of life and working conditions, and enhance the relationship between gas station owners and employees and the police.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY. It is critical to the success of this project that we get a large number of responses, both from stations who have been victims of crime, as well as those who have not. If you have trouble with the survey or have any questions, please do not hesitate to call NJGCA at 973-376-0066 and ask for Jacy.
Moving on, I wanted to take a moment to address the marketplace. There are several reasons that you are seeing prices go up. You should be getting used to this by now -- at this time of the year we see prices spike because of the cross-over to a summer blend of fuel. The transition begins in April, as the refiners MUST load tanker trucks with the summer blend on May 1. In recent years, you may have seen prices spike earlier in the new year, in anticipation of that transition, and then drop before the summer driving season. The spike occurred a little later this year. What is different this year is that there has also been a slight uptick in demand, combined with some supply difficulties in several regions of the country. The combination of all of these things has created the upwards spike in prices. However, if demand levels off, and assuming that inventories remain adequate and the regions with shortfalls will be resolved, it is not likely that you will see prices continue to rise into the summer months.
Finally, you should have all received the OTR in your mailboxes earlier this week. Please spend some time this weekend reading it while enjoying your morning coffee. Inside the OTR, you will find an article that I wrote about workers' compensation and the cheating and fraud that occurs in these programs. I hope you will also read about, and understand, the issues that we undertake on behalf of our members. Finally, it is important that you pay close attention to the main article about the benefits that NJGCA offers to our members. I am determined to see you save money and be prosperous. Please call me if you would like to further discuss anything that you see or read in the OTR.
Thanks for reading -- See you next week!
Regards,
Sal Risalvato
Executive Director
CLASSIFIEDS! -- FOR SALE & HELP WANTED ADS
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY!!
Well established family-owned gas and repair service station in Springfield, NJ. Serving the community for over 30 years, located on a well travelled main street.
We are looking for the following:
Please call 973-376-1416 to arrange an interview.
If you'd like to list your business for sale, publish a location you're selling, or are seeking a business partner for your establishment, please contact NJGCA at 973-376-0066!
NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW
04/24/2014:
Details of the FDA's proposal to regulate e-cigs
As part of its implementation of the Family Smoking Prevention & Tobacco Control Act signed by Pres. Obama in 2009, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently proposed a new rule that would extend the agency's tobacco authority to cover additional tobacco products. Products that would be subject to FDA regulation are those that meet the statutory definition of a tobacco product, including currently unregulated marketed products, such as nicotine gels, e-cigs, cigars, pipe tobacco, waterpipe (hookah) tobacco & dissolvables not already under the FDA's authority. The FDA currently regulates cigarette tobacco, cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco & smokeless tobacco. Consistent with currently regulated tobacco products, under the proposed rule, makers of newly deemed tobacco products would, among other requirements:
- Register with the FDA and report product and ingredient listings;
- Only market new tobacco products after FDA review;
- Only make direct and implied claims of reduced risk if the FDA confirms that scientific evidence supports the claim and that marketing the product will benefit public health as a whole; and
- Not distribute free samples.
In addition, under the proposed rule, the following provisions would apply to newly "deemed" tobacco products:
- Minimum age and identification restrictions to prevent sales to underage youth;
- Requirements to include health warnings; and
- Prohibition of vending machine sales, unless in a facility that never admits youth.
For more information, click here.
04/22/2014:
Tesla will debut first supercharger station in N.J. this week amid car sales dispute
Despite an ongoing dispute over direct sales of cars to consumers in NJ, Tesla Motors unveiled its first supercharger station in Hamilton, Mercer County this week. The debut of the station in the parking lot of a Barnes & Noble store in Hamilton near exit 5A for I-195 (exit 7A for the NJ Turnpike) marks the 100th supercharger station worldwide for Tesla, the company said in a statement. The station includes six stalls and will be open 24 hours a day, the company said. A 20-30 minute stop in the stall can provide a Tesla with nearly a full charge, the company said. The recharge is free at the supercharger stations for Model S owners.
04/21/2014:
Robbers hit three Union County service stations, police say
Police are trying to determine whether the robberies of the 3 service station attendants in 3 Union County towns within 24 hours are related. Police said $640 was taken from an employee at a Roselle Park station who was attacked at 9:25 p.m. Friday, $80 was taken from a worker in Linden about 10:20 p.m., and $400 was stolen from an attendant in Elizabeth about 6:10 p.m. Saturday. In the first two holdups, a robber grabbed the victim around the neck while a second man took cash from the worker’s pocket, police said. In the Elizabeth case, the worker was grabbed from behind and knocked to the floor by one man while a second man picked through the employee’s pockets, police said. Roselle Park police said three men were involved in the robbery at the Delta at 413 East Westfield Ave. They escaped in a silver two-door car, police said. About an hour later, two men robbed a 54-year-old worker at the Gulf at 101 North Park Ave. in Linden, where one man grabbed the worker around the neck while a second man poked the victim in the stomach with what the victim believed was a knife. At 6:10 p.m. on Saturday, two men approached an attendant at the East West Diesel station at 401 Jefferson Ave., Elizabeth. One man asked for cigarettes and while the worker was in a small booth by the gas pumps, grabbed the worker from behind, and punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Authorities are asking anyone with info about the robberies to call the local police department.
04/21/2014:
NJ gas prices at highest levels in 7 months after seasonal fuel grade switch
The start of summer driving season isn’t until Memorial Day but the shift to summer-grade fuel is already happening, leading to the highest gas prices New Jersey motorists have seen in nearly eight months. Gas prices are about 14 cents higher than a month ago and 40 cents above November rates, according to the website GasBuddy.com. Statewide, gas prices remain below the U.S. average, which stood at $3.62 a gallon. That national average was the highest it has been since late August, said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at GasBuddy and the Oil Price Information Service. Despite the jump, NJ’s low gas tax has kept prices well below neighboring states like NY, where the average gallon of unleaded cost $3.83; and PA, where it was nearly $3.70. Summer-grade gasoline, which burns cleaner and is generally considered less harmful to the environment, costs more because it’s more difficult to make, Kloza said. The annual shift back to winter-grade gas takes place in mid-September. While seasonal adjustment has driven the price increase, there were other reasons, including refineries cutting production to perform spring maintenance and instability in the Ukraine.
TRAINING CLASSES!!
-ALL CLASSES WILL BE HELD AT NJGCA HEADQUARTERS-
66 Morris Avenue - Springfield, NJ 07081 (Union County)
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: Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Class Location: NJGCA Headquarters, located at 66 Morris Avenue - Springfield, NJ 07081
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.
FUTURE CLASSES WILL BE ADDED UPON REQUEST AND ACCORDING TO DEMAND. CONTACT DEBBIE at 973-376-0066 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!!
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 require12 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 973-376-0066 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
66 Morris Avenue
Springfield, NJ 07081
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.
THE MEMBER TOOL BOX
MEMBER SAVINGS PAGE
Check out all of our MBPs and Programs designed to SAVE YOU MONEY!
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