June 06, 2015

Dear NJGCA Member:

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

Here is what you will find in this edition:

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

MANDATORY TIRE REGISTRATION BILL INTRODUCED IN WASHINGTON DC
SELF-SERVE BACK IN THE NEWS
NJGCA PAC FUNDRAISING APPEAL -- WE NEED YOUR HELP!
SOUTHWEST NJ (GLOUCESTER) BREAKFAST MEETING

As you know, we've been discussing the issue of mandatory tire registration for the past few months. Up until last week, there was no legislation, simply a proposal from the Obama Administration, presenting their preferred solution to the soon-expiring highway funding bill. The highway funding bill did expire last week, but Congress passed a two-month extension to temporarily delay the necessity of finding a long-term solution. The same day, the top Democrat on the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure introduced President Obama's transportation plan (Grow America Act H.R. 2410) with 23 other Democrats. The Service Station Dealers of America (SSDA) issued a legislative alert to their members earlier this week, which included the following information:   
 
The 361-page "Grow America Act" proposes hundreds of amendments, including Section 4112, buried on page 189. This provision, "Tire Registration by Independent Sellers" aims to amend subsection (b) of section 30117 of Title 49 of the US Code. The proposed revision of paragraph (3) is as follows:

(3) The Secretary may initiate rulemaking to consider requiring a distributor or dealer of tires that is not owned or controlled by a manufacturer of tires to maintain records of the name and address of tire purchasers and lessors and information identifying the tire that was purchased or leased, and any additional records the Secretary deems appropriate. Such rulemaking may also consider requiring a distributor or dealer of tires that is not owned or controlled by a manufacturer of tires to electronically transmit such records to the manufacturer of the tire by secure means at no cost to tire purchasers or lessors.

If passed, the amendment would give the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the authority to make changes to 49 CFR Part 574.  According to the language in Section 4112 of the "Grow America Act", it is reasonable to assume that NHTSA would require the tire distributor or dealer to maintain the records and electronically transmit the information to the manufacturer at no cost to the customer. Based on those assumptions, we believe that NHTSA intends to reinstate some form of a mandatory tire registration system.
 
One of the Democrats doing President Obama's bidding and sponsoring this legislation happens to be from New Jersey, Rep. Albio Sires (who represents most of Hudson County, Belleville, part of Newark, and Elizabeth. We hope that Rep. Sires is not yet aware of the impact of this provision on YOUR business, and that we'll be able to change his mind. To do that, we need YOU to contact him (and the other representatives from NJ) so that we can voice our disapproval.  
 
To contact your elected official, please follow THIS LINK.  We have already written a message for you to send, so the hard part is done. Just a few clicks and you will have done your part in protecting your business. To contact Rep. Sires directly (if you do not live or own your business in his district), please call one of the following phone numbers: (202) 225-7919, (908) 820-0692, (201) 309-0301 or (201) 558-0800.
 
The time is now to get involved and fight against this burdensome proposal. If passed, dealers could be fined up to $700,000 per location for not registering tires!
 
Now, another issue -- Last week it seemed as if the noise about self-serve had died down, however it was resurrected this week. Apparently, there is support on our side of the issue, and although legislators say that their offices have been barraged with phone calls of people opposed to self-serve, they are also hearing from people who think it is a good idea because they want to take advantage of the speed, convenience, and savings that self serve will give. We're focusing our efforts on playing to the audience of people who will support this legislation as we move forward.  Prepare for a long battle.
 
On that note, as the organization prepares to take up the fight for self-serve, I would just like to take a moment to ask you to look for a letter in the mail from the NJGCA PAC. This is the first time in almost FOUR years that we have sent out an organization-wide mailing asking for your support. We are at a critical juncture right now in our fight to accomplish TWO long-standing organizational goals: Right to Repair and Self-Serve Gasoline.
 
And, we have just come off three recent victories: Preventing a sales tax on gasoline, blocking additional cigarette and e-cig taxes, and keeping retailers from having to pay for the rewards programs developed by the oil companies. In the past two years, several of your colleagues have worked diligently to raise much-needed funds for the NJGCA PAC.  Although they are making the effort once again this year, I think it is only fair (not to mention helpful) that ALL NJGCA members play a role to support our PAC efforts. Please be as generous as possible. YOUR donations go a long way toward helping us accomplish our goals and without your support we are unable to advocate for the best interests of YOUR businesses.  Please click here to read the letter sent out by the NJGCA PAC, and please click here to donate directly online: www.njgcapac.org/donate.
 
Finally, I would like to make a general announcement to all NJGCA members who live or work in Southwest NJ (Burlington, Gloucester, Camden, Salem). I know we don't often get down to your neck of the woods (but last year we held Breakfast meetings in Medford and Clayton) and next week we will be in Gloucester Township!! We're making a huge effort to go to all corners of the State, so please, meet us halfway!  The meeting will be held on June 10th, from 9:30 - 11:00 AM at the Lamp Post Diner, 1378 Little Gloucester Road, Gloucester Twp. There will be TWO FREE GIVEAWAYS at this meeting. In addition to a FREE Breakfast (due to our generous MBP Sponsors), NJGCA will offer a FREE $50 American Express gift card and Hough Petroleum will offer a FREE case of Gulftec Synthetic 5/20 Motor Oil. There's no reason NOT to attend. We hope to see you there. Please call Jacy at 973-376-0066 or respond to this email with any questions.

That's all for now!  Thanks for reading -- See you next week!

Regards,
Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

TRAINING CLASSES!!
-ALL CLASSES WILL BE HELD AT NJGCA HEADQUARTERS-
66 Morris Avenue - Springfield, NJ 07081 (Union County)

For info on the ENTIRE ETEP course, and the ETEP Re-Certification courses that NJGCA is offering, please click HERE.

To access the registration form and payment info, 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!!

CLASSIFIEDS! -- FOR SALE & HELP WANTED ADS 

NJGCA Member with HUGE Auto Repair Building for Lease!!
     - Over 3,000 sq. ft., includes lifts and some equipment
    - Separate Offices and Customer Waiting Area
Location: Hackettstown, NJ (just one block off Route 46)
    - Located on busy roadway, plenty of parking & easy access!
Asking Price: $4,000/month (term of lease is flexible)
CONTACT SUSAN - 862-432-2179

NJGCA MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNERS LOOKING TO HIRE!

GILL ENERGY:

District Manager
Store Manager
Trucking Operations Manager

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

News You Should Know:

06/02/2015:
The Most Lobbied Issue in NJ Last Year? Paid Sick Leave
Paid sick leave was the most lobbied issue in NJ last year, according to a new report released by the Election Law Enforcement Commission.  The report indicates that 69 different organizations contacted lawmakers 294 times in 2014 about the Assembly and Senate versions of the proposed statewide paid sick leave bill, which is still currently making its way through the Legislature. The next most lobbied issue was the 2014-2015 state budget (which drew 240 official contacts from 58 separate entities). The so-called 'ban-the-box' bill and 'made in America' measures, both of which drew significant concern from the business lobby last year, came in third and fourth place respectively. ELEC calculated that the paid sick leave bill drew lobbied interest from 21 businesses, 21 business associations, 9 ideological groups, 7 associations representing various parties, 6 unions, 4 hospitals and one public agency. Among them, 27 groups were in opposition of the measure, 19 supported it and 23 others took no formal position on it. ELEC executive director Jeff Brindle said that this was the first time the agency has ever attempted to analyze the quarterly lobbying reports. In March, ELEC reported that a total of $58.3 million was spent on lobbying statewide last year, decreasing by about 8.1% from 2013’s total of $63.4 million.

06/01/2015:
Why Predictions About Cheap Gas This Summer Aren't Coming True
Supply and demand. It's a basic business fundamental that applies to everything, except to the oil markets. Despite a huge supply of somewhere north of 400 million barrels of crude oil sitting in storage, which would send prices down for any other commodity, we're going to see an annoying bump up in prices this week, said Jeff Pelton, GasBuddy.com's Senior petroleum analyst. Not a lot, but just enough to make us scratch our heads a little in amazement. Here's why. "The market isn't really reacting to the inventories," Pelton said. "Don't expect any dramatic increases in retail prices, but don't expect to see prices drop at the pump in the near future." This is where you (and I) would say, "Wait! What happened to the predictions of cheap summer gas?" The commodities market for oil and gas doesn't react the same as the market for say, wheat or corn. Because those commodities have a shelf life. Oil? Not so much. It doesn't go bad, which is why there are 479 million barrels of crude sitting in storage, according to the federal Energy Information Administration. But the market isn't reacting to the huge inventories of oil, Pelton said. And demand has picked up as summer driving starts. That means we can expect a modest increase of two to five cents a gallon that would push the average price in the state to $2.55 to the $2.59 a gallon range, Pelton said, depending on where you live or buy gas.
 
06/01/2015:
Big Oil Companies Want a Price on Carbon. Here’s Why.
Recent natural-gas profits have Shell and BP, among others, calling for increased use of carbon-emissions fees ahead of a make-or-break climate summit in Paris. Six oil and gas giants based in Europe have delivered an unusual joint message to organizers of United Nations climate talks: We want a price on carbon-dioxide emissions. BP, Shell, Eni, Total, Statoil, and BG Group (a big gas company that Shell is acquiring) announced in a letter to Christiana Figueres, the top U.N. climate official, that they are joining forces for an initiative calling for carbon pricing, which is accomplished through emission-trading systems or taxes. Their effort reflects a strategic calculation for the companies that by engaging on the topic, they can help shape climate policies to benefit natural gas, which produces about one-half of the carbon emissions of coal when burned to create electricity. Wider use of carbon pricing worldwide, depending on how stringent the policies, could benefit companies that produce gas and ship it around the globe in liquefied form. "[T]he need to cut emissions is so essential that we have to pursue all options to lower carbon while providing the energy the world needs to meet demand from a growing population seeking better living standards. Natural gas can help deliver this," reads a second open letter from the companies released to the press.
 

05/29/2015:
EPA's Biofuel Announcement Takes a Bite Out of Corn
The Obama Admin. handed more disappointing news to the once-powerful corn lobby, giving growers less support than they had wanted in a federal ethanol program that’s under attack from the oil industry, food producers, tea partiers and some green groups. The EPA announced that it wants to scale back -- but not slash -- the amount of biofuel that gasoline refiners must blend into the nation’s fuel supply through 2016, under a program that Congress created a decade ago to trim U.S. dependence on Mideast oil. The proposal allows a modest boost for 2016, but falls far short of the ethanol lobby’s hopes for an ever-soaring share of the nation’s fuel supply. And though it also goes against the oil industry’s demand that Washington abolish or make steep cuts to what it calls a wasteful mandate, ethanol advocates were the first to cry foul Friday. “The initial read on EPA’s proposal is they have simply acquiesced to the demands of Big Oil,” said Tom Buis, CEO of the ethanol industry group Growth Energy. Brian Jennings, executive vice president of the American Coalition for Ethanol, said the administration is essentially bowing to the oil industry’s efforts to limit how much biofuel is allowed in the marketplace. “It’s like the NFL saying it’s OK for the Patriots to deflate footballs while everyone else must play by the rules,” he said in a statement.

MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE BOARD:

TMP Energy Solutions
Another Way to Save on Your Energy Bills

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.