July 3, 2014

Dear NJGCA Member:

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

Here is what you will find in this edition:

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE: GREETINGS & SAL-UTATIONS! 

AMT ANNOUNCES 4% DIVIDEND FOR MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING
NJGCA WINS VICTORY IN PREVENTING 75% E-CIG TAX
PROPOSAL TO RAISE AGE TO PURCHASE TOBACCO FROM 19 TO 21
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Hello All, and Happy Fourth of July! Last week, Sal mentioned that he will be away on vacation and his Communications Director will be writing the next few Road Warriors. That would be me, Jacy. This is the first time in 7 years that Sal has not authored the weekly email. I'm sure you'll appreciate my efforts to keep things shorter and sweeter than Sal usually does!
 
To start, NJGCA has great news to share with members that receive health coverage from AMT. AMT is a self-funded trust that NJGCA formed with 14 other small business trade associations, which is grandfathered under state law. This is called a Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement (MEWA), a group of employers who self-insure rather than paying a commercial insurer for a health plan. By joining together, companies spread their risk across a larger pool of insured workers. Recently, legislators and small businesses have observed the value of a MEWA, and there is a proposal in Trenton to update the State's rules. AMT is one of only three MEWAs in the State.  To read a news article on the issue, please click here.
 
Now, for the good news: For the third year in a row, the AMT Executive Board approved the return of surplus revenues to NJGCA members who are in good standing. This return of surplus funds (dividend) has been approved by Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI).  AMT financial activity is strictly governed by DOBI which ensures that all financial benefits are returned to members. Other health insurance companies return similar funds... not to plan holders, but rather to their stockholders. NJGCA members are the AMT stockholders! This is truly an amazing benefit to NJGCA members!
 
Only NJGCA Members who are in good standing will receive this benefit.  The dividend will represent 4% of the annual premium paid to AMT for health coverage during 2013. The dividend will be issued through a “Premium Holiday” that will show up on your July Healthcare Coverage invoice. We have members that will receive more than $5,000 thanks to this program. We can't help but brag about this, especially since there are so many problems and complications with the new ObamaCare. If you own a small business, you are nuts if you aren't considering AMT. (Sal told me to say that!) To get more information, please call NJGCA at 973-376-0066 and ask for Greg!
 
More good news: NJGCA was recently successful in preventing a 75% tax on e-cigarettes and increased taxes on other tobacco products from passing in the Legislature! Some members have asked why we made the effort we did on this, since they don't operate convenience stores or use tobacco as a profit center.  However, more of our members than you realize rely on tobacco sales as a profit center, as well as a traffic builder inside their stores. NJGCA played a significant role, if not the leading role, in Trenton. We were the only small business association representing convenience stores and small shops that sell tobacco that was screaming about this. As you can see in the following articles, Sal received significant press on the issue. Article 1. Article 2. Article 3. This was an important victory that even Sal wasn't sure that we could win. NJGCA sent a press release to thank the Legislature for their understanding and cooperation. To read it, click here.
 
Unfortunately, although we scored a major victory on one issue, the legislation to raise the age to purchase tobacco from 19 to 21 made progress in the Senate this week.  However, given our newfound confidence after our recent victory, we will continue to fight this battle. We doubt that this proposal will be moving in the Assembly anytime soon, but we will continue to monitor this closely and keep our members informed.
 
Finally, with so much of our attention focused on Trenton the last two months, it almost seems that the Fourth of July snuck up on us! With all these distractions, I hope you are looking forward to celebrating our nation’s birthday with friends and family. Sal always encourages our members to pause and reflect on the meaning of this important holiday. Whether you realize it or not, your personal success as a small business owner is directly tied to the Fourth of July.  Think about it: Our Founding Fathers not only established a new nation dedicated to individual liberty, but also created a free-market system that is the envy of the world.  In doing so, they guaranteed that the entrepreneurial spirit would thrive, competition would spread, and every person could be the master of their own occupational destiny.  It is these principals which allows your business to flourish! So this weekend while you’re chomping on a hot dog, throwing around a Frisbee or just relaxing in a hammock, take a few moments to consider all of this and count your blessings!

Thanks for reading -- See you next week!

Regards,
Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

CLASSIFIEDS! -- FOR SALE & HELP WANTED ADS 

Long Established Towing Business For Sale!

Numerous contracts in place for new owner to take over!

• Dealerships, Municipalities, Road Service Clubs as well as State of NJ, State Police and Ocean County.
• Medium and Heavy Duty relationships as well.

Contact Greg at NJGCA (973-376-0066) for more information!

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

07/02/2014:
South Jersey retailers capitalize on e-cigarette craze
Smoking once controlled Mike Moran’s life. Now the Cherry Hill resident is taking control. Two years after kicking his 26-year smoking habit, the former firefighter owns Firehouse E-Cigs and Vapors in Cherry Hill, one of many area vaping lounges to open this year. Despite being an estimated $2 billion industry with millions of users, e-cigarettes are largely misunderstood by the public, Moran claims. The popularity of e-cigarettes wasn’t lost on Gov. Chris Christie, whose proposal to tax them at the same rate as conventional cigarettes -- $2.70 a pack -- in the 2015 state budget was defeated Thursday. The tax change figured to generate about $35 million in annual state revenue by raising the price of a 30-milliliter e-liquid -- or juice -- from $20 to $30 to about $100.  Such a markup likely would have driven many recent brick-and-mortar lounges out of business, as well as leading “vapers” back to traditional cigarettes, says Moran.

6/30/2014:
NJ Senate passes bill raising smoking age to 21
Convenience stores and other retailers would be prohibited from selling tobacco products and electronic cigarettes to young adults under age 21 under a bill the Senate approved today. New Jersey is one of five states that sets a minimum age of 19 for tobacco sales, and would be the first state to increase the legal age to 21. Senate sponsors Richard Codey (D-Essex) and Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex) proposed the legislation to prevent young people from taking up the harmful habit. Violators of the law would pay $500 for the first offense and $1,000 for subsequent offenses, according to the bill. The NJ Gasoline-Convenience-Automotive Association has testified against the legislation because it puts the responsibility of complying with the law on its members, instead of underage buyers.

06/25/2014:
NJ's Effort to Promote Zero-Emission Vehicles Stalled in Slow Lane
New Jersey is lagging behind neighboring states in promoting the market for plug-in electric and hybrid vehicles, which hurts efforts to reduce air pollution that contributes to summertime smog and greenhouse gas emissions, according to environmentalists and clean-car advocates. Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey, released a report claiming that electric vehicles could prevent significant amount of climate-changing pollution each year. The report suggested that by 2025 widespread use of electric vehicles could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars -- one of the biggest sources of pollution contributing to global warming -- by nearly a half-million tons, the equivalent of taking more than 104,000 cars and trucks off New Jersey’s roads.

06/24/2014:
Bill Aims To Open Up More Health Insurance Options For Small Businesses
Small employers are at a disadvantage compared to larger companies when it comes to getting health insurance for their workers, but a measure advancing in the Legislature is intended to level the playing field. The bill, A-3421/S-2220, would update the state’s rules for businesses joining together to provide insurance, an arrangement known as a Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement (MEWA). Under MEWAs, a group of employers will self-insure rather than paying a commercial insurer for a health plan. By joining together, companies can spread their risk across a larger pool of insured workers. Currently, only three MEWAs are operating in the state, and some business executives say the state regulations are proving to be a barrier to more forming. Supporters of the bill say it will both encourage new MEWAs to form and ensure that the arrangements are secure. The state law hasn’t been changed since it was enacted in 2002. Since then, the health insurance world has been upended by the 2010 Affordable Care Act.

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

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.