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April 5, 2013 Here is what you will find in this edition:
JOIN NJGCA ON FACEBOOK -- CLICK HERE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE: GREETINGS & SAL-UTATIONS!
ADVOCATING IN YOUR TOWN
CREDIT CARD SURCHARGE UPDATE LETTER TO ALL FORMER EXXON LESSEE DEALERS Sometimes, a terrible idea has a way of getting recycled in unexpected ways. Like a bad penny or an ex-girlfriend, they always seem to resurface. Immediately after Superstorm Sandy left us battered and bruised, Trenton and the court of public opinion started to debate whether the state should mandate station owners install generators at their locations. A few months back, on January 18th, rather than wait for Trenton to take action, Bernards Township in Somerset County decided to cut out the ad nausea debates and pass an ordinance mandating gasoline retailers install generators. Of course, at the time, I had no idea about the municipality’s plan. The news about Bernards Township was brought to my attention by an NJGCA member. Thankfully once we knew about it, we worked quickly to stop the effort. It took a few days for us to scramble and I was able to get the town council and Mayor a letter and evidence explaining our position. Once we did, I’m pleased to say we were able to stop the ordinance dead in its tracks. You can take a look at an article reflecting our efforts by CLICKING HERE Unfortunately, I guess some types of personalities – be they town officials, legislators, or political pundits – are just flat-out addicted to bad ideas that make them feel good. Rather than learn from past examples, bad ideas just keep popping up. Enter Marlboro Township in Monmouth County, who has moved beyond considering the idea to a whole-hearted adoption of it. That’s right – Marlboro now requires gasoline retailers to have generators installed at their stations within three years! That means every station owner must now shell out as much as $30,000 for a piece of equipment that won’t do anything to alleviate the inability to pump gas after a storm. Why? Because generators only deliver electricity…and they don’t deliver gasoline! Take a gander at this local news outlet’s coverage by CLICKING HERE, then CLICK HERE to look at the letter that went out to retail station owners in town outlining the new law. We just learned about this news on Monday when a member contacted us to let us know what was going on in Marlboro. This is a done deal, and unlike the similar situation in Bernards Township, it’s now too late. Can we do anything to reverse it? I’m going to try, but there’s no guarantee they’ll listen or react at this point. Remember, it’s always much harder to reverse and repeal something like this after it is passed. Why? Because no matter if it’s Trenton or town hall, politics is politics. Those who are in power don’t like to be told that they’ve made a mistake and are likely to dig in their heels. As I’ve stated in previous Road Warrior messages, we’re very fortunate to be hardwired to events in Trenton and Washington, D.C. Aside from a number of news alert services we have at our disposal, we’ve worked hard to build and maintain relationships as a means of informing us when legislation that is beneficial – and more importantly harmful – to your business is being considered. In fact, there are times when I get a phone call or an alert about something pressing even as I’m about to go to bed at night. Nevertheless, as well informed as we are, there is NO service that we know of, nor relationships that we can endeavor to build, that would “plug us into” the council agendas or mayoral ambitions of New Jersey’s 565 municipalities. The proof of this is in the very example I cited above. I had no idea that Bernards Township was even thinking about passing an ordinance of this kind until I received the phone call from the member. What’s more, I didn’t know that I was successful and that they rejected the idea until I read about it in the paper! Therefore, it is incumbent on members like YOU to tell me when stupid things like this are considered and may threaten your business. And I’m not just talking about generators, but any kind of local ordinance that deals with issues we are concerned about that could impact your business. Even at this moment, it is likely that there are other municipalities considering similar (or other damaging) ordinances. I don’t have a clue who they are or what their agenda is, so I need YOU to keep me informed of what’s going on locally! So take an interest in your local government (you should be anyway), do some investigating, and find out if your town’s elected officials are considering any generator ordinances. Over the last few months, we’ve discussed the Credit Card surcharge situation and the court settlement it stems from. Though I don’t want to reiterate everything we’ve explained on the topic in this week’s message, it’s sufficient to say that I’ve gone on record multiple times stating that you should not be accepting any kind of settlement offer from the credit card companies. If you aren’t up to speed on this topic, I invite you to re-read the February 8th and March 1st editions of the Road Warrior to get complete details. It’s important that you know the background information on this situation and understand it. If you are still fuzzy on the specifics afterward, give me a call and I’ll explain further. Though I haven’t reported much on this after the last month, it’s not because I haven’t wanted to. Rather, I’ve been in a bit of a holding pattern in anticipation of meeting with Assemblyman Moriarty, Chairman of the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee. The Assemblyman is currently entertaining a bill that could ultimately and drastically reduce the fees you pay to Visa/MC every time a customer uses his or her card – and it will affect your business! My colleagues and I were scheduled to meet with the Assemblyman on Thursday, but the meeting was postponed and I didn’t want to postpone this message any longer. While we’ve been trying to make this meeting happen, however, I have heard from a number of you who have visited http://merchantsobject.com, a website dedicated to seeing the settlement scuttled. The site has some very good and important information, but the bottom line is that the agreement is a windfall for the attorneys, but does nothing for you! In fact the attorneys that filed the lawsuit and are pushing for the judge to accept the settlement are now asking for the judge to intervene and stop the web site and any efforts to object to the settlement. That should be proof enough that the proposed settlement benefits the lawyers and not merchants. For anyone who hasn’t visited the site yet, I encourage you to visit the link above and get a move on. Get involved with the settlement and tell the judge to reject the agreement! You may also read two recent articles on the subject HERE and HERE for further insight into the situation. Lastly this week, I wanted to touch on something that has me very concerned. A number of former Exxon Lessee Dealers who purchased their location under our Right of First Refusal law are now required to replace their underground storage tanks. However, I’m distressed to learn that a number of sites have had work done with alarming results. There are now first hand reports of soil contamination, and sloppy assessments by contracted consultants and inspectors. The situation is dire enough that it prompted me to issue a letter to all those retailers affected with further instructions and details. If you are a former Exxon Lessee Dealer that is required to remove your tanks and install new ones, and if you did not receive a letter from me outlining a course of action, then it means I don’t have your proper contact information. If that’s the case, it’s imperative that you reach out to me immediately. I anticipate having other important communications on this situation sent out to affected dealers as the situation unfolds – you don’t want to miss anything that could help you! If you have any questions, please give me a call. Thanks for reading – See you next week! Regards, Sal Risalvato Executive Director
BUSINESS FOR SALE!
Business Opportunity:
•Location – 34 Rt. 206 South – Somerville, NJ
Serious Inquiries Please Contact Bill at 908-887-1385
Do you have a business for sale? Are you looking for a new location or opportunity? 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!
CLASSIFIEDS: FOR SALE & HELP WANTED! After running an ad in the Road Warrior over the last month, NJGCA was able to assist a member in selling his equipment! If you'd like to list equipment for sale, or have an open position you'd like to make other industry professionals aware of, please contact NJGCA at 973-376-0066 and let us help you get the word out!
NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW
04/05/2013:
National unemployment level drops The U.S. Department of Labor has reported that just 88,000 jobs were added to the economy in March, a sharp decline from previous months. However, even as hiring has slowed, the unemployment rate dropped to four-year low of 7.6 percent. The drop is most likely due to more individuals having stopped looking for work. The statistics are compiled as the government counts people as unemployed only if they are actively looking for a job. Click above to read more. 04/04/2013: Customer Care: Most vehicles on the road need service Though many consumers today believe that automobiles don’t need extensive, regular maintenance, a recent consumer and auto-industry piece outlines why it’s likely that most cars on the road are in need of servicing. Statistics have shown that the reality is worse than most drivers believe, with 77 percent of vehicles used daily needing some kind of maintenance. Click on the link above to read the full report. 04/02/2013: Federal aid extension granted for Sandy victims, businesses New Jersey residents and small business owners have been granted an additional deadline extension to register for Hurricane Sandy disaster aid. The deadline had been extended twice, with the most recent target date ending on March 1st. Businesses and residents will now have until May 1st to register with the Small Business Administration and Federal Emergency Management Agency. To register, visit www.disasterassistance.gov or call (800) 621-3362. 04/01/2013: Reduced sulfur gasoline could lead to more powerful engines, reduced emissions A new proposal by the Obama Administration could see lower sulfur-content gasoline help automakers comply with stricter federal emission mandates and lead to more efficient internal combustion engines. A lower sulfur gasoline blend, though more expensive to produce at refineries, would enable engineers to develop learn-burn direct-injection motors, which will help the average motorist save money at the pump. Click above to read more.
TRAINING CLASSES!! NEW JERSEY EMISSION INSPECTOR TRAINING
PLEASE NOTE: FUTURE DATES 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
TMP Energy Solutions 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
Promoting our agenda in Trenton is of utmost importance to NJGCA and our members.
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: 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
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