December 10, 2015

Dear NJGCA Member:

Thank you for reading this week's NJGCA Road Warrior!

Here is what you will find in this edition:

EFFORTS TO RAISE TOBACCO SALE AGE TO 21 STATE-WIDE
WEBINAR ON BENEFITS OF LED LIGHTING CONTROLS -- 12/16

As you all know, I am on vacation with my family this week. I promised I would try to get a message to you guys, but I've gotta make it quick. Luckily, the new Motor Vehicle Emissions Inspection program hasn't been announced so far, and my wife hasn't taken the computer away ... yet.

Today, the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee discussed a bill which would ban 19 and 20 year old adults from buying cigarettes, cigars, other tobacco products, and e-cigarettes/vaping devices. This legislation only penalizes the retailer for selling tobacco to an underage individual, not the person who is attempting to make the purchase. Several of the bill's sponsors sit on the Committee, so it was pretty much a sure thing that the bill would be approved in the “Health” Committee. However, the bill still has to be considered by another Committee in the Assembly, before going to the full Assembly for a vote. Then, it would need the Governor’s signature, and all of this would have to happen before January 12. We will continue to be actively involved in this issue as the bill moves forward. You can read the testimony that I submitted to the Committee HERE. Also, I was contacted while I was in Florida by the Star-Ledger to provide comment on the bill. You can read the story HERE.

Finally, I wanted to provide you with information from KOPA Lighting Solutions -- one of our Member Benefit Partners. KOPA is hosting a webinar on Weds. 12/16 at 11:00 AM titled, "The Transformation of LED Lighting Controls and their Remarkable Benefits," to discuss the application and benefits of controls in an LED lighting system. To register for this webinar, click HERE.

I'll be back next week with more! Thanks for reading.

Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

TRAINING CLASSES!!
All classes held at NJGCA HQ -- 4900 Route 33 West, Wall Township, NJ 07753

**NEW** Emission Repair Technician Re-Certification Class
Four (4) Full Days -- 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM -- December 9, 15, 22 & 29

Section 8 – Advanced Gasoline Technologies (Wednesday, December 9)
Section 9 – Advanced Light Duty Diesel (Tuesday, December 15 & 22)
Section 10 – Hybrid/Electric Technologies (Tuesday, December 29)

Cost = $635 Member
$765 Non-Member

FUTURE CLASSES WILL BE ADDED UPON REQUEST AND ACCORDING TO DEMAND. CONTACT DEBBIE at 732-256-9646 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!!

CLASSIFIEDS! -- FOR SALE & HELP WANTED ADS

NJGCA MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER GILL ENERGY LOOKING TO HIRE FOR (3) DIFFERENT POSITIONS!

For more information about these positions, and to submit a resume for consideration, please contact: ravigill@gillenergy.com.

NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

12/9/2015:
Is Hydrogen the Future of Alternative Fuels?
Though higher ethanol blends, compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) are often mentioned as prominent future alternative fuels, Joe Petrowski, managing director of private equity group Mercantor Partners, dubbed hydrogen a “significant fuel of the future.” Serving as keynote speaker during the Convenience Store News 2015 Fuels & Tech Summit, Petrowski said hydrogen has a tremendous future as an alternative fuel for many reasons, including its local abundance, ability to provide the same fueling experience for customers in terms of fill-up times, and mouth-watering profit margins for c-store retailers, which could reach $5 per fill-up. The former CEO of The Cumberland Gulf Group also noted during his speech, entitled "The Future of Fuels," that hydrogen produces superior gas mileage compared to traditional gasoline, and the “fire marshal says it’s safer than CNG and LNG.”

12/8/2015:
At NJBIA forum, legislative leaders talk gas tax, TTF
Sitting in for Senate President Steve Sweeney on a panel of legislative leaders at the NJ Business & Industry Association's annual Public Policy Forum, state Sen. Paul Sarlo said there is currently enough Democratic support in the Senate to pass a gas tax increase in conjunction with raising exemptions on retirement income and phasing out the state's estate tax. While Democrats have long clamored for a gas tax hike in order to replenish the state’s depleted TTF, Republicans have called for some other tax concession, particularly in regards to NJ’s estate and inheritance taxes, to pair with it. “The fund is broke,” said Sarlo. “We’re out of time.” Christie said he would not consider a gas tax increase without additional tax concessions from Democrats. Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick said he’s confident a solution will be reached on the TTF. “The TTF will be fixed,” Bramnick said. “You can count on that.” It’s the state’s high-tax climate that worries him more. “The problem is, it’s too expensive for most NJ residents ... A lot of people are gone or on their way out,” Bramnick said.

11/29/2015:
NJGCA Member in the News: Regular maintenance can extend life of car
Motorists need not look beyond their own cars to save money. Simple things such as regular maintenance, timely oil changes and keeping an eye on tire pressure can save money at the pump and in the long run, leading to a longer car life and higher resale values, South Jersey auto dealers and repair shops said. Foremost, these shops urge drivers to stick to scheduled maintenance as suggested by the manufacturer. Each vehicle has different specifications and maintenance schedules, so owners should adhere to the manual, they said. Frank Tomasello, a sales representative at J.C. Miller Auto Parts in Northfield, said missing scheduled maintenance could void the warranty of your vehicle. Regular oil changes are one of the biggest maintenance practices. The rule of thumb is to change the oil every 3,000 miles, but it is “critical” to go by your car’s specifications, Chapman Auto Service adviser Scott Reska said. Some vehicles and some oils can mean less frequent oil changes.

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 require 12 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 732-256-9646 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
4900 Route 33 West, Suite 100
Wall Township, NJ 07753
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.

*NEW*Energy Information Agency Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices

Each week, the Energy Information Administration publishes a list of average gasoline prices for the previous three (3) weeks. NJGCA will begin including this list with the Weekly Road Warrior. Remember, these prices are for reflective of self-serve everywhere except NJ.