DOMESTIC OIL PRODUCTION & ALTERNATIVE FUELS REDUCE MARKETPLACE CONCERNS STEMMING FROM INTERNATIONAL TURMOIL AND UNREST
BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS - TAX INCREASES STILL ON THE TABLE
TEXIMA PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE PARTICIPANTS WITH $1,000
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE NJGCA PAC
UPCOMING ROAD WARRIOR EMAILS TO BE AUTHORED BY JACY

As I mentioned in last week's Road Warrior, the turmoil and unrest in the Middle East, especially the recent events in Iraq, are likely to have a significant impact on crude prices. The marketplace should be trending downward, but because of Iraq, it's not. Prices should be trending downward because of the increasing oil production in the US and Canada. Additionally, the US has been successful in converting some of our dependence on crude oil to natural gas, which has also become abundant. For those reasons, oil is NOT at $150 a barrel, like it would've been if the U.S. had not developed our own domestic production of both oil and natural gas. BUT…it is at $108 a barrel and it really should be much lower. Take Iraq and the unrest in the Middle East out of the equation and I am pretty certain that gasoline prices on the street today would be around $2.25 at the highest. Given the geo-political unrest, without the increased production of oil and gas, I think gas prices today might already be approaching $4.

Given the uncertainty surrounding the international oil supply, all alternative energy technologies are poised to strike in the near future and make an even bigger dent in the marketplace, especially if conventional energy prices continue to rise. This happens every time there is a major and sustained hiccup in the petroleum marketplace. Alternatives like electric and natural gas fueled vehicles gain a stronger foothold. Just this week, legislators, environmentalists and electric vehicle enthusiasts held a press conference to encourage NJ to develop electric charging stations and incentives for electric vehicles. I was quoted in the article with comments on the industry and what role gas stations will play in the market. To read the article, click here.

In other important news, budget negotiations are happening around the clock in Trenton, as the State's fiscal year ends on Monday, June 30th. The Democratic proposal includes a series of tax increases on businesses and residents, including a higher tax rate for businesses, and higher taxes on upper income citizens. Additionally, we have been fighting against the e-cigarette tax for the past couple of months. I am happy to say that I feel like we are actually making some progress to kill this tax.

In the next couple of days, this critical issue must be decided upon. Thus far, NJGCA and our coalition partners have been successful in gathering many Legislators that are also opposed to the proposed E-cigarette tax. Many of you have been contacting NJGCA to tell us how harmful this tax will be to you. I have relayed your fears to legislators. Now is your chance to have your voice heard and ensure that the E-Cigarette tax is not included in the final budget. If you have not already contacted your legislator please do this now. Send them a pre-written letter with just the click of a few buttons, please click HERE.

Additionally all members in Bergen and Passaic counties should expect a phone call from one of our newest partners, a company named Texima. Members in other counties will be contacted in a few weeks. Texima has recently partnered with NJGCA to offer a program to our members so that they can earn $1,000 per location. All you have to do is allow Texima to place a clothing bin in a convenient location anywhere on your property, and you will receive a $1,000 check from NJGCA every December, for EACH OF YOUR LOCATIONS participating in the program! For more information about this program right away, please call the NJGCA office at 973-376-0066 and ask for Greg.

Finally, I want to send a sincere thank you to all of our members who attended the clay shooting event on Tuesday. Your support of the NJGCA PAC helps us advocate for your businesses in Trenton and put up a strong fight against those policies that would cause your businesses harm. We can't win these battles without you!

The last thing I want to mention this week is that I am taking a vacation and will not be around to write the next few weekly Road Warrior emails. I have asked our able Communications Director Jacy Lance to pen the next few. I’ll see you in a few weeks!

Thanks for reading -- See you next week!

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

6/26/2014:
Will Georgia's $5,000 Electric-Car Tax Credit Be Axed In 2015?
Over the past year, there have been sustained efforts in the Georgia state legislature to kill the state's $5,000 income-tax credit for buying a battery-electric vehicle. Among the most generous state incentives in the nation, Georgia's credit has put the metropolitan Atlanta area among the top areas where electric cars are sold and widely used. While this year's effort to kill the $5,000 credit didn't succeed, it has been suggested that there will be a renewed effort again next year. The total cost of the credit -- now in the tens of millions of dollars in foregone tax revenue for the State of Georgia -- is perceived as too high, and there will be increasing support to reduce or simply eliminate the incentive.

6/24/2014:
NJGCA in the News: Electric Car Advocates Urge NJ to Develop Charging Stations, Incentives
Environmentalists said that NJ is not doing enough to jump-start the electric car industry as legislative efforts to build more charging stations and provide extra incentives for buyers have gone nowhere in Trenton. Speaking at a new conference near a charging station at Bergen Community College, a coalition of environmentalists, legislators and electric car enthusiasts said NJ needs better infrastructure to support zero-emission cars, considering NJ still has some of the worst air quality in the nation. Gasoline station owners are wary of investing upwards of $50,000 to build charging stations while not knowing if they will get a return on their investment, said Sal Risalvato, executive director of the 1,500-member New Jersey Gasoline, C-Store and Automotive Association. “What we have is a chicken-and-egg situation,” he said. “There has not been enough of a market to entice entrepreneurs into investing in electric-charging stations. And without the charging stations, the market doesn’t grow.”

6/24/2014:
West Orange Police Arrest Suspect in Gas Station Shooting and Robbery
A 21-year-old resident of Newark has been arrested in connection with the armed robbery of a West Orange gas station which left an attendant with a gunshot wound to the groin. Surveillance footage captured the incident on video, which was blasted on local news sources everywhere and helped the West Orange Police to identify, apprehend and arrest the suspect. According to West Orange Public Information Officer Jessica Glicker, "A detailed investigation of the incident by the West Orange Detective Bureau found that Harris, who had been arrested in Irvington two days later on an unrelated armed robbery charge, was also the suspect wanted in the Delta gas station incident." “I am very proud of the job our police officers are doing. Solving this case with speed and skill takes this criminal off the streets to prevent him from causing more harm to the public,” Mayor Robert D. Parisi said.

6/24/2014:
FDA Extends Comment Period on Cigar, E-Cig and OTP Regs
In response to the request of interested parties, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has extended (by 30-days) the comment period on the agency's proposed options for regulation of cigars, regulatory approach to electronic cigarettes and other non-combustible tobacco products, pathways to market for proposed deemed tobacco products and other issues. The new deadline is Aug. 8, 2014. The FDA published the proposed rule on April 25, 2014, with a 75-day comment period ending July 9, 2014 to request comments on its proposed options for regulation of products deemed to be tobacco products, and compliance dates for certain provisions, among other issues. The agency received multiple requests to extend the comment period for the proposed rule including more than 2,000 form letters as part of a write-in campaign to request additional time to comment. The requests conveyed concern that the current 75-day comment period did not allow sufficient time to develop a meaningful or thoughtful response to questions raised in the proposed rule.

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

CLASS DETAILS:

Class Date: Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Class Location: NJGCA Headquarters, located at 66 Morris Avenue - Springfield, NJ 07081
Arrival Time: 7:00am
Lunch Break: 12:00pm (Pizza and soda will be served)
NJMVC Test: 1:00pm

CLASS FEES:

NJGCA Members: $250.00
Non-members: $300.00

Manuals are included and payment is due upon registration. All credit cards are accepted.

License Fee: Bring a $50.00 check made payable to NJMVC to satisfy the State's licensing fee.

PLEASE NOTE: If you live out of state, you must bring 6 points of ID with you, such as a license, passport, healthcare card, utility bill, etc.

FOR INFO ABOUT THE 8-WEEK ENTIRE EMISSION TECHNICIAN EDUCATION PROGRAM (ETEP) CLASS -- SECTIONS 1 TO 8 -- THAT WILL BE OFFERED ON WEDNESDAYS DURING AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, PLEASE CLICK HERE .

FUTURE CLASSES 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!!

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

DEFENDING OUR MEMBERS.
PROTECTING YOUR INTERESTS.
ANSWER THE CALL & CONTRIBUTE TODAY!!

Promoting our agenda in Trenton is of utmost importance to NJGCA and our members.

However, in order to truly affect the debate, we must ensure our friends in the Legislature are re-elected. 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 a few. This is not only unfair to those few members who have shouldered this burden, but means we are not utilizing our full strength to affect the debate in Trenton.

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:
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.

THE MEMBER TOOL BOX

MEMBER SAVINGS PAGE
Check out all of our MBPs and Programs designed to SAVE YOU MONEY!