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March 5, 2010
GREETINGS AND SAL-UTATIONS!
Dear NJGCA Member:
A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING: NORTHEAST 2010, EDUCATION & INSPECTIONS
As we reported last week, in the next few days, your mailman should be delivering the Special Tradeshow issue off our On The Road publication with details on NORTHEAST 2010.
When you receive your copy, please take a few minutes to go through it. Toward the front you will find a piece I wrote on education, which I strongly urge you to read. Though I have only raised this topic recently, I have been a long time advocate for education reform. As I stated in a recent Road Warrior – and as you will find in the latest On The Road – the quality of education affects every aspect of your business.
Think about it. You hire someone and put them to work at your shop. They represent you and your establishment. Many of your customers will decide on if to patronize your business again depending on how that person performs. No matter if you have someone who can’t make proper change at the register of your convenience store, an employee who doesn’t understand basic mathematics in working at your gas pumps, or a mechanic who can’t even write up an invoice for your repair shop or understand a tech-manual – the quality of education affects everything!
And we haven’t even gotten to how they will impact your bottom line or possibly make mistakes that will cost you in the long run.
As a small business owner, it’s imperative that you become engaged in this discussion. When you arrive at NORTHEAST 2010, please be sure to stop by the NJGCA booth to view a documentary which outlines exactly how the current system is broken and why it needs to be reformed. The film, called The Cartel, is an eye-opening piece. The filmmaker diligently details how taxpayers and our children are underserved and overcharged by the education establishment as good teachers are mistreated by their union, school officials plead ignorance, and politicians ignore needed reform to secure their re-elections. It truly is a MUST SEE film and I hope you will join us at Booth #720 to watch.
And for anyone who thinks that there isn’t a direct causal link between some of our current fiscal woes and education, please check out a recent editorial in the Star Ledger for their take on how out of control the entire system has become. Just click HERE
Also inside the latest issue of On The Road, please be sure to see the list of vendors and exhibitors which will be attending, as well as the complete list of seminars and events we have planned.
Lastly, also make sure to find your FREE VIP TICKETS on page 15 of the Tradeshow section. I have set aside FOUR FREE TICKETS for each of you, but remember that everyone who attends must register. Register online ahead of time to save time at the door, and if you do, you can just pick up your badge at the door on the way into the show. Showing up with your VIP tickets will get you in for FREE, but you will still have to wait in line to register. If you don’t register online OR bring your VIP tickets, you will have to pay $10 at the door.
So be smart, save money, and enjoy the show on us! Click HERE to register for free and get into the show with minimal hassle.
With only two weeks to go, NJGCA is moving full-steam ahead to address the final details before the start of NORTHEAST 2010. This show will have something for everyone, but this year we are especially proud of the expanded presence of exhibitors from the convenience store and motor fuel industries to compliment the already strong attendance of automotive service vendors.
We are proud to present a series of workshops and seminars designed to help you better your small business, including our Fat Margins Workshop, the Food Safety 101 Seminar, a Health Insurance Workshop, and of course, our Family Fun Day extravaganza.
You can learn more about these events by clicking HERE
The state budget is continuing to be a problem for our new Governor. I will be able to discuss it more after Governor Christie’s budget address, but I have been working on needed changes to the inspection program that you will all appreciate. If it pans out, it will be very beneficial to all of you and I will reveal more in the coming weeks.
As has become our custom, I spoke with MVC and Parsons Thursday morning for our weekly conference call. I’m pleased to report that several PIF beta sites are up and running as of today. All PIF beta sites should be activated by the end of next week. Thank goodness for that since several problems and fixes have already been implemented due to the testing program. And if Beta goes smoothly, MVC is planning to begin converting all PIFs during the week of March 29th at the rate of 100 per day. I will keep you informed as we draw closer to the change-over.
Community Right to Know Act forms were recently mailed to you from the state. Please do not forget to fill them out and send them back as soon as possible. Don’t allow yourself to be subject to fines for failure to fill out this form. This is an important task – DON’T FORGET!
Thanks for reading. See you next week!
Regards,
Sal Risalvato
Executive Director
SAVE THE DATE AND ATTEND NORTHEAST 2010!
THE NORTHEAST 2010 TRADESHOW IS ALMOST HERE!!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND JOIN US ON MARCH 19TH - 21ST
AT THE MEADOWLANDS EXPOSITION CENTER!
To Register for the Tradeshow FREE OF CHARGE click HERE
to visit the NORTHEAST 2010 Registration Page!
For more details & information, visit the NJGCA Tradeshow Homepage by clicking HERE
REGISTER TODAY & CALL US WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS!
IN THIS WEEK’S NJGCA ROAD WARRIOR
UPDATE: NEW PIF CLASSES ADDED!!
•See our new class schedule below!!
POLITICAL PARTICIPATON: THE NJGCA PAC
•Participate in the NJGCA PAC today and help us keep our Agenda rolling in Trenton!
MBP BUSINESS SEMINARS BY AFFINITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
•Sign up for classes aimed at improving your small business today!
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY WITH PH2 SOLUTIONS, INC
•Are you interested in a position with PH2 Solutions? See below for details!!
NEWS AROUND THE STATE
•Service cuts and fare hikes expected at NJ Transit
•Christie wants part-timers out of pension system
•Cellphone use while driving: Police have issued 225,000 citations
•Governor’s pick to lead DoT opposes gas-tax hike
ON THE NJGCA HOMEPAGE
MEMBER SAVINGS PAGE
Check out all of our MBPs and Programs designed to SAVE YOU MONEY!
HELPFUL LINKS
Looking for something? Take a look at our list of useful links!
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
Find all our communications and search for old e-newsletters. Take a look!
NEWS AROUND THE STATE ARCHIVE
Need to catch up on events? Want to see what's going on? Find out here!
KNOW YOUR TERRITORY MANAGER!
Henry Darden: Territory Manager for Middlesex, Union, Part of Essex (Southern Half)
Cell: 908-247-2992
Email: henry@njgca.org
Jack Leli: Territory Manager for Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, Salem
Cell: 732-995-1637
Email: jack@njgca.org
Bob Quirk: Territory Manager for Bergen, Hudson, Part of Essex (Northern Half)
Cell: 201-214-8836
E-mail: bob@njgca.org
Frank Stewart: Territory Manager for Morris, Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, Passaic
Cell: 973-234-7403
Email: frank@njgca.org
Don Stohrer: Territory Manager for Monmouth, Mercer, Somerset
Cell: 732-539-2955
Email: don@njgca.org
UPDATE: NEW PIF CLASSES ADDED!!
Due to overwhelming demand, NJGCA has added additional classes in January, February and March!
ETEP TRAINING
Emission Repair Technician Re-Certification Class
NJGCA is offering the ETEP course that your ERT’s need in order to re-certify their license.
Our Course includes:
•New Jersey State Specific Information Course
•ETEP Section 6 “OBDII Monitoring Failures”
•Section 7 “Light-Duty Diesel Vehicle Technologies and Testing”.
•Five (5) nights class instruction
Everything your technician needs to Re-Certify his ERT license!!!
Class Cost (Including Manuals):
•NJGCA Member rates: $489.00
•NON-Member rates: $629.00
March Class - Rumson --- UPDATED!!
March 8th, 11th, 15th, 18th, & 22rd
Monday and Thursdays
6:00pm to 9:00pm
PLEASE NOTE: We are currently in the process of putting classes together for April, May and June. If you are interested in taking classes in this time period, please call NJGCA and let us know so we can add you to the list.
We are also looking to set up a 2 full-day ETEP class in Southern New Jersey in March. If you are interested, please let us know!
Call Debbie Hill to enroll in the classes at debbie@njgca.org or call 973-376-0066.
POLITICAL PARTICIPATON: THE NJGCA PAC
Ensuring our friends in the legislature are re-elected and advocating for our agenda in Trenton are of utmost importance to the agenda of NJGCA.
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 the shoulders of a few. This is not fair to them, and it is not fair to many of you who are relying on the benefits of good legislation being passed in Trenton.
To truly understand the importance of fundraising for our allies, let’s look back upon the overwhelming successes of the last year:
NJGCA successfully lobbied against BELOW COST SELLING. If approved, BELOW COST SELLING would have cost each of you thousands of dollars and put many of you out of businesses. NJGCA leaned on some of our friends in the Assembly and literally had the bill pulled off the floor on the day it was scheduled to be voted on. Our friends in the Legislature helped us get this accomplished.
NJGCA made history and led the charge to pass the most comprehensive protection of franchisees in decades with FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL legislation. FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL passed only because NJGCA and dealers throughout the state were able to lean on several friends in the Assembly and the Senate.
NJGCA has been rallying support for RIGHT TO REPAIR over the last two years among key legislators. This would end the practice of car manufacturers denying you the codes necessary to complete the repairs you make on your customers cars. Every state has tried to pass RIGHT TO REPAIR and no state has even been able to get the legislation out of committee. Because of our friends in the Legislature, NJGCA has been successful in getting this bill passed by the Assembly and now awaits a vote in the Senate.
I am asking some of you as individuals to make a contribution and attend a fundraising event sponsored by one of our friends in the Assembly.
However, we will not be able to host events for all of our friends, so the NJGCA PAC will have to make contributions. You will be receiving letters soon from the NJGCA PAC asking you to make contributions.
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.
MBP BUSINESS SEMINARS BY AFFINITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
Affinity Federal Credit Union, an NJGCA Member Benefit Partner, is offering a number of classes designed specifically to help small business owners.
Some of these classes include:
•Managing Money Wisely
•Career Navigation in a Pink Slip Economy.
•Kean University Small Business Counseling Sessions
•Entrepreneur Certificate Program (ECP)
•Accounting and QuickBooks Certificate
•Small Business Seminars
•And much more!
Take advantage of this opportunity! Click HERE to visit the Calendar of Events on the Affinity homepage and sign up for a class!
Pleas contact Phil Apruzzi with any questions or comments at 973-376-0066.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: PH2 SOLUTIONS, INC.
An Employment Opportunity is available for Drivability Technicians with PH2 Solutions:
General Requirements: Seeking a qualified repair technician familiar with the fundamentals of On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) drivability concepts such as DTC’s, Pending Codes, Data Stream and Readiness Monitors.
Position: Drivability Technicians
Role: Market Areas, Demonstrate, Train and Support unique and proven drivability software driven product.
Market Areas: NJ Counties - Essex, Union, Morris, Hudson, Passaic, and Bergen
Compensation type: Base + Commission
For information: Call 973.902.5517 or email your resume to sales@ph2solutions.com or gcowart@ph2solutions.com
EOE/M/F/D/V
NEWS AROUND THE STATE
3/4/2010:
Service cuts and fare hikes expected at NJ Transit
NJ Transit is expected to soon announce a fare hike of as much as 30% and service cuts as a wake to cope with a reduction in state funding. Fares may rise as much as $1.50 to make up for a $300 million budget shortfall this year.
3/3/2010:
Christie wants part-timers out of pension system
In a move that has angered labor unions, Governor Christie is supporting a measure which would bar future part-time state workers from being allowed into the state pension system. Among other initiatives, the Governor also seeks to force state workers to contribute at least 1.5% of their salaries to their health benefits, cap sick-leave payouts for future workers, and a ban on workers collecting multiple pensions.
3/3/2010:
Cellphone use while driving: Police have issued 225,000 citations
Despite being illegal, handheld cellphone use while driving is rampant in New Jersey. Since a law banning such use has gone into affect nearly two years ago, police officers throughout the state have racked up nearly 225,000 citations for those caught violating the law.
3/2/2010:
Governor’s pick to lead DoT opposes gas-tax hike
James Simpson, Gov. Christie's nominee to head the NJ Department of Transportation, stated during his recent confirmation hearing that he would not support a gas-tax hike to replenish funds for the state’s nearly bankrupt Transportation Trust Fund. Simpson is expected to be approved by the full Senate.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES IN OUR “NEWS AROUND THE STATE” ARCHIVE
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