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May 21, 2010
GREETINGS AND SAL-UTATIONS!
Dear NJGCA Member:
A CALL TO ARMS: SAFETY INSPECTIONS MUST BE SAVED
In case you didn’t notice, last week we didn’t send out the Road Warrior e-communication. That’s because I have been utterly consumed with trying to prevent the elimination of Safety Inspections and how it will harm PIFs/DEICs doing business in New Jersey.
However, before I begin to update you on Safety Inspections, I want to take a moment to fill you in on a few other events taking place in the wider-world that deserve your attention.
First, we have visited legislators over the past year to discuss selling beer and wine in convenience stores. Finally legislation was introduced that will be helpful to convenience store owners in generating more foot traffic. Though it will be an uphill fight to get passed and signed into law, this bill will allow convenience stores to sell beer and wine. I wanted to make you aware that the bill has been introduced, and that despite our distraction with Safety Inspections, we’re on top of this issue. We’ll fill you in as new information becomes available because I will need all of you convenience store folks to contact legislators when the appropriate time comes.
Second, Assemblyman Joe Cryan has recently introduced a bill to increase the Gas Tax. Presented as a “gradual increase” the bill would raise the Gas Tax by 8¢ each year, for the next three years. However, not content with a mere 24¢ tax increase, the measure also seeks to increase the tax every year thereafter by the rate of inflation. That essentially means that the Gas Tax would go up every year, year after year -- indefinitely. NJGCA disagrees with any Gas Tax hike since we believe that it will only hurt motorists and small business owners. However, we remain confident that Governor Christie, who has strongly opposes a Gas Tax hike in the past, would veto the bill if it reached his desk.
Now for back to Safety Inspections…
Earlier this week you should have received two communications from NJGCA: A Wildfire Alert and an In Case You Missed It e-newsletter.
We sent you the Wildfire Alert to update you on the latest news on Safety Inspections and ask you to take action. You can read this edition of the Wildfire Alert by clicking HERE
Once you read through it all, PLEASE DO WHAT IT SAYS! While Governor Christie seems focused on ending Safety Inspections, many Legislators have openly stated that they like the NJGCA plan, which would have all re-inspections performed at PIF/DEIC facilities. Not only would this save $13 million a year and keep the driving public safe, it would considerably fairer to all small business owners who just spent $8,500 to purchase new inspection equipment. But to get this job done, I need you to contact the Governor’s Office and key Legislators to convince them that Safety Inspections MUST be retained.
READ THE WILDFIRE ALERT – THEN GET MOVING!!
The second piece is an In Case You Missed It message with two video clips that I hope you will find interesting. You can view this edition of the In Case You Missed It e-newsletter by clicking HERE
The first features NJGCA Member Paul Kelly and I speaking to NJN News. The second has me squaring off against an opponent on a My9 News segment called “Take It On”. Both deal with why we need to keep Safety Inspections as part of the motor vehicle inspection program and how the public would be harmed if they are eliminated.
Please contact me if you are willing to talk to the press on this issue or have them come and visit your shop to see what is involved in a Safety Inspection. Additionally, if you have any customers who think that eliminating Safety Inspections is a bad idea, please let me know!
While I have clued you in over the last few months on my vision to save New Jersey millions a year by mandating that all re-inspections be conducted by PIF/DEIC locations, I have tried to keep this strategy away from the press as much as possible. I did this because I didn’t want it splashed on the front page and allow the public to weigh in. Why? Because too many in the press and the public LOVE the idea of killing Safety Inspections. They believe they are unnecessary (despite recent studies) and just an additional expense we can do without.
Regardless, while I don’t plan on being proactive in pushing our plan with the press or the public, I won’t shy away from them either. When someone prompts me with questions or comments, I will undoubtedly respond.
Until then, check out the two clips in the In Case You Missed It e-newsletter to get a taste of what I mean.
In the meantime, I still need you to help me make my case with Legislators and the Governor. How? By continuing to send me pictures and detailed information on unsafe vehicles that come into your shops. What kind of picture, you ask? Take a look below:
See anything wrong in these? Each picture listed above comes from an NJGCA Member who had cameras ready when an unsafe vehicle came in for an inspection.
To everyone who has sent along pictures, THANK YOU and please keep them coming.
To everyone else, here’s what you need to do:
1).IMMEDIATELY Keep a camera handy in your shop.
2). Take pictures of ANY UNSAFE CONDITION that you find even if the vehicle is not visiting you to have a NJ Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection. Obviously BRAKES, TIRES, STEERING, are compelling examples, but do not dismiss leaky exhausts and inoperable brake lights and turn signals.
3). Think back to previous inspections over the past 6 months when you found extremely unsafe conditions. Retrieve your repair order and send me the details.
4). Make sure that all customer information is made available, and please understand that I will never use that info without permission.
5). Be prepared to give a verbal account to a legislator or a legislative committee if I need your testimony.
Please call or email me once you have the pictures and information togehter!
Thanks for reading and see you next week!
Regards,
Sal Risalvato
Executive Director
IN THIS WEEK’S NJGCA ROAD WARRIOR
UPDATE: NEW PIF CLASSES ADDED!!
•Added All PIF and Diesel classes below!!
POLITICAL PARTICIPATON: THE NJGCA PAC
•Participate in the NJGCA PAC today and help us keep our Agenda rolling in Trenton!
NEWS AROUND THE STATE
•Treasury: Income tax revenue ‘significantly below’ projections
•Judge refuses to block public workers benefit and pension legislation
•Governor pushes 2.5% property tax cap
•State Education Commissions seeks sweeping reforms
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: 973-477-0057
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!!
CALL FOR FUTURE CLASS SCHEDULE INFORMATION
SPECIAL NOTICE: All PIF & DIESEL INSPECTORS
NJGCA is offering 4 SPECIAL ONE DAY DEIC – PIF CLASSES
ON THE FOLLOWING DATES:
May 25th
Location for all Classes: NJGCA Springfield Office (Boardroom)
Time: 7: 30 am to 3:00pm
Tuition: Member: $299.00 – Non-member: $349.00
ETEP Re-Certification Classes
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”.
Everything your technician needs to Re-Certify his ERT license!!!
The class will be offered on the following date:
June 8th, 10th, 15th, 17th & 22nd
Location: NJGCA Springfield Office (Boardroom)
Time: 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm each night
Tuition: Member: $489.00 – Non-member: $629.00
PLEASE NOTE: We are always in the process of putting together additional classes. 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.
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.
NEWS AROUND THE STATE
5/20/2010:
Treasury: Income tax revenue ‘significantly below’ projections
State officials with the Office of Legislative Services have stated that gross income tax collections in the month of April were more than $550 million below expectations. Such a shortfall signals that the economy may be weaker than originally anticipated and that budget projections for next year will have to be revised before the end of June.
5/20/2010:
Judge refuses to block public workers benefit and pension legislation
A Superior Court Judge has refused to block a new law which would reduce pension and healthcare benefits for public workers. Public employee unions had sought an injunction prevent the law from taking affect. However, Judge Linda Feinberg has rejected the unions’ arguments stating that the measure was not unconstitutional.
5/17/2010:
Governor pushes 2.5% property tax cap
This week, Governor Christie began a series of town hall meetings designed at selling his proposal to cap year property tax increases at 2.5%. If the proposal is passed by the Legislature, it will then face voter approval at the ballot box in November.
5/7/2010:
State Education Commissions seeks sweeping reforms
Bret Schundler, the state’s Education Commissioner, recently unveiled plans to overhaul the New Jersey’s education and introduce merit pay. In proposing merit pay, New Jersey would be eligible for $400 million in federal funding under the Race to the Top grant program. However, the state’s largest teacher’s union has come out strongly against the proposal, which includes extending the current tenure period from three to five years and making layoff decisions based on evaluations rather than seniority.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES IN OUR “NEWS AROUND THE STATE” ARCHIVE
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