January 14, 2011

Dear NJGCA Member:

Here's what you'll find in this edition of the NJGCA Road Warrior, and thank you for reading:

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE: GREETINGS & SAL-UTATIONS!
•A Busy Week: Safety Posters, Inspections & Transportation Funding

NEWS AROUND THE STATE
•State of the State: Guv wants budget cuts, merit pay for teachers and pension reform
•More people left NJ in 2010 than moved in
•State Legislature passes ‘Back to Work New Jersey’ package of bills
•President signs requiring ‘quiet’ cars to become noisy

A REGULATORY ADVISORY FROM ATS
•New air regulations will be enforced on January 10, 2011 -- will you be ready?

NJGCA WANT AD CLASSIFIEDS
•Do you have what this member is looking for?!

TRAINING CLASS SCHEDULE
•See our latest training class schedule below!!

POLITICAL PARTICIPATON: THE NJGCA PAC
•Participate in the NJGCA PAC today and help us keep our Agenda rolling in Trenton!

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM BELLOMO FUELS
•Serving New Jersey since 1910 -- 100 years of supplying gasoline retailers like YOU!

THE MEMBER TOOL BOX
•On the NJGCA Homepage
•Know your Territory Manager!


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

BUSY WEEK: SAFETY POSTERS, INSPECTIONS & TRANSPORTATION FUNDING

I have recently dispatched your NJGCA Territory Manager to deliver a poster and a stack of pamphlets.  It will take several weeks, but they will visit you soon.  As we reported earlier, these two items are important – and perhaps even necessary – tools that will prove useful in educating your customers on keeping their vehicle in safe running order or possibly face fines.

I’m pleased to report that since we’ve sent them out, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.  In fact, we’ve received a number of pictures and statements from NJGCA Members telling us how they like them and how they’ve come in handy in helping inform their customers of the changes in the inspection program.  Take a look below:

 

 
Guy Burd of Guy Auto in Washington, NJ (Warren County): “NJGCA has really improved over the years. This [poster] is great!”  NOTE: When Guy was done putting up the picture one of his customer read the poster and stated he forgot about his left wiper; the poster just jogged his memory to fix it.

 
Fred Sackman of Sacks Shell in Morris Plain, NJ: “NJGCA under the leadership of Sal is doing a fantastic job and the poster and brochures are just another example of the work NJGCA is doing. Thanks guys.”  NOTE: Fred also said that he has being telling his customer about changes in the inspection program and the poster is just another reinforcement tool for him to use.

 
Tony Ceglia of Morris Plains Automotive in Morris Plain, NJ: “You guys are great. I will put it right beneath the counter this will smack them right in the face. Great job NJGCA!”
 

I’d like to thank Territory Manager Frank Stewart for taking these snapshots and getting our Members’ sentiments on the record to share with you.  But what about you?  Have you been using these items as tools to convince your customers to get needed repairs done?  How have your customers responded?  Please send any pictures, comments or feedback on the Safety poster and pamphlets to me so I can share them with our members!  Feedback from your customers is also appreciated.

Speaking of Safety, do you remember how it was that Safety Inspections were eliminated to begin with?  I know it’s been awhile, but this entire situation decision was based on the need to cut state spending.  It was about this time last year that I pushed the NJGCA Plan to state officials as a means of not only saving state funds, but to better serve motorists and your small business.  You’ll recall that our Plan would have the state send all re-inspections to PIFs and prohibit re-inspections by the CIFs.  That plan could have saved the state approximately $13 million a year.  However, despite the number crunching, the Governor and the Legislature instead decided to eliminate Safety Inspections to save $12 million a year. 

Though that hurt us badly, it was only one battle in a larger war that I have been pushing for some time: Eliminating all CIFs and move New Jersey to an all-PIF inspection system.  While it may have seemed like pie-in-the-sky idealism to many, the Governor’s Privatization Task Force chaired by former Congressman Dick Zimmer used all of my recommendations when it issued its report last year.  And what’s more, MVC Chief Administrator Ray Martinez agrees that New Jersey shouldn’t be in the inspection business at all.  In fact, Chief Martinez held a similar administrative role in NY, where all inspections are done through private facilities. However, Ray Martinez is not the Governor, and that is who we must convince.

While being vindicated on moving to an all-PIF system from Congressman Zimmer and Chief Martinez certainly is nice, it isn’t going to win us this battle.  Just as the budget process last year was rocky and confrontational, this year’s budget cycle promises to be an even larger battle.  Why?  Because last year, the budget was so overly bloated that it was relatively “easy” to cut spending.  This year, in order to keep our fiscal house in order, the Governor and Legislative leaders are going to have to cut deep and act quickly if they hope to reach any kind of consensus. 

Please keep in mind: No matter how cash-strapped the state may be, this WILL BE A VERY TOUGH SELL.  You must remember that in order to win this war, we need to overcome public perception – which any politician worth his salt knows is the key to winning any publicity battle. Right now most citizens in the state believe 1) they don’t need to get their cars inspected anymore or 2) they aren’t responsible for keeping their cars in safe running order now that Safety Inspections are eliminated.  Add in the fact that most people mistakenly believe that inspections are FREE, and you can see how difficult this task will be.

To better communicate our position to the public on Safety compliance, NJGCA is planning on sending out a number of press releases.  I may ask some of you to be interviewed by press for brochures and posters because the public seems to think they don’t have to do it any longer.  This is why it is important for you to hang those posters and distribute the brochures.  If you are interested in being interviewed by the press, please contact me and let me know so I can direct reporters to come visit your location. 

The Governor will give his budget address next month, which should help us to gauge if he’d be agreeable to move to an all-PIF program. In the meantime, however, I’ve continuing to make the rounds to get other Legislators to support our proposal.

Speaking of budgets, late last week the Governor Christie unveiled his five-year proposal to address much needed repairs to our transportation infrastructure.  As you’ll recall, the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) has been slowly running out of money thanks to Trenton’s fiscal mismanagement over the last 20 years.  The TTF is paid for through the Gas Tax, and the simple solution among Legislators is to merely hike the Gas Tax to get the revenue they need.  In fact, there are a whole host of Gas Tax hike bills out there right now – which would hurt motorists and your small business.

Luckily the Governor agrees that it’s a bad idea and is fulfilling his campaign pledge to NOT HIKE THE GAS TAX in fear that it will harm commuters and the state’s fragile economy.  Instead, the Governor proposes an $8 billion TTF budget by using money from the scuttled Hudson River tunnel project, handing off some projects to the Port Authority and borrowing $4.4 billion to pay for the rest. 

While pundits are crying that this is the wrong move, I have given the Governor credit for being creative in trying to find a solution to this important problem.  Yes, borrowing is not a long term solution to our infrastructure problem, but considering how badly the fund has been robbed over the years, the Governor deserves some acknowledgement for tackling the problem without trying to hurt state motorists with a higher Gas Tax.  You can read more about the plan - as well as a few quotes from me on the matter – by clicking HERE and HERE

Lastly this week, the quarterly On The Road communication has been printed and is on the way to you.  You should be getting it early next week, if not sooner.  Please take time to go through the various articles and information in this edition.  Remember, I wouldn’t send it to you if it wasn’t important, so take a look and get back to me with any questions or comments you may have.

Thanks for listening - See you next week!

Regards,

Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

NEWS AROUND THE STATE

1/12/2011:
State of the State: Guv wants budget cuts, merit pay for teachers and pension reform
In his State of the State speech on Tuesday, Governor Christie said that the next year of his administration seeks to focus on pension and benefit reform, more budget cuts, and creating merit pay for teachers who perform well in the classroom.  The Governor also called on the end of the current tenure system, but conceded that it was unlikely to get through the Democratic controlled Legislature.  Full details of his plan are expected to be revealed during the yearly Budget Address in February. 

1/12/2011:
More people left NJ in 2010 than moved in
United Van Lines, America’s largest private moving company, found that more people left the Garden State than moved to New Jersey in 2010.  In the study, commissioned by the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, found that 62.5% of moves in New Jersey were from residents leaving for other states.  The study parallels a 2009 study which found that New Jersey lost $70 billion in wealth from 2004-2008 as affluent residents moved out of state.

1/10/2011:
State Legislature passes ‘Back to Work New Jersey’ package of bills
The State Senate and Assembly have passed a dozen bills aimed at spurring the state’s economy. The package of bills, known collectively as ‘Back to Work New Jersey’, is aimed at streamlining state government and cutting bureaucratic red tape.

1/4/2011:
President signs requiring ‘quiet’ cars to become noisy
With the number of electric vehicles expected to increase in the coming years, there are growing concerns that the quiet operation of such vehicles could pose a danger for blind or visually impaired residents.  To combat this, President Obama recently signed a bill which would require automakers to add additional sound to such ‘quiet vehicles’ as a safety precaution.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES IN OUR “NEWS AROUND THE STATE” ARCHIVE

                                                                                                                                                                                    

 

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NJGCA WANT AD CLASSIFIEDS

NJGCA Member Jerry Sweet needs to relocate his shop.

He is looking for a new location in the Mine Hill, NJ area and is asking fellow NJGCA Members for assistance.

If you have at least 2 bays available, please contact Jerry at 973-252-5151 or email him at Sweetmotors@optonline.net