July 24, 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 THREAT IS RENEWED
INFORMING PAYROLL COMPANY OF MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES
RENEWED CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RAISING THE GAS TAX IN NJ
SPECIAL EVENTS TO PROMOTE NJ LOTTERY
NJGCA OFFICE MOVING -- NEXT WEEK.  IT'S GO TIME!

The issue of mandatory tire registration has bounced up and down over the past five months. We have seen big tire manufacturers flexing their muscles by making extremely large campaign contributions to very influential senators in Washington DC, who then sneakily inserted mandatory tire registration language back into the transportation funding bill! The entire bill is over 1,100 pages, and they have hidden one paragraph in the middle of the bill -- that one paragraph will be both burdensome and punitive to YOU if you sell tires. To my dismay, the games being played in both the US Senate and the House of Representatives by both parties have left me completely disgusted. This whole process is devoid of intellectual debate on financing our highways, and instead has been hijacked by influential members of Congress to insert other hidden items that they may never get passed if they weren't hidden in a transportation funding bill.  Why would they do this? Because they know that they can get away with it -- their colleagues in Congress are hesitant to vote NO to funding our national highway system just because of these seemingly small hidden items in the bill.  This is the new Congress ... statesmanship and intellect no longer exist. Instead, the game is cunning and gamesmanship.
 
As of the writing of this update, games continue to be played, and I do not know what they are.  I don't know about the moves in this chess game until after the moves are made, but you all MUST be on standby because we are prepared to ask you to bombard your members of Congress, AGAIN (even if you have already done so), and ESPECIALLY if you haven't.  Now is the time to get off your butt and do it! THE LINK IS HERE. Look for my future alerts and updates next week. The current funding expires July 31, so Congress MUST act soon.
 
Also this week, a member brought alerted us that he recently discovered that he had been paying his minimum wage employees incorrectly for the past 7 months, since the minimum wage increased on January 1, 2015. Most payroll processing companies have whole departments that will specifically monitor federal and state regulations, and automatically make adjustments to reflect new changes in tax rates or tax thresholds, as a service to their clients. The question right now is does this also include when the law increases the minimum wage? And do payroll companies have a responsibility to notify you and let you know that you haven't changed an employee's rate and are in violation of State law? You may remember that several times last year I reminded you that the rate would be changing on January 1, 2015. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to tell the payroll company if and when your employee's rate of pay changes.
 
The reason I'm writing about this today is because I'm afraid that the same issue may have fallen through the cracks with others, who simply forgot in January to notify their payroll processor that an employee's rate changed when the minimum wage changed. If you have employees still being paid the 2014 minimum wage rate of $8.25, you must go back, recalculate their hours at $8.38, issue that pay to them, or you will find yourself in very hot water with the NJ Department of Labor. This violation can easily be reported by a disgruntled employee. Finally, let me just state this now in advance, though I will certainly remind you again in December when the 2016 rate is public: YOU MUST report any change in an employee's rate of pay to your payroll processing company.
 
Discussions about raising the gas tax have been quiet (thankfully) for some time now, however, recent events have proven that nothing is ever dead in Trenton. Conversations regarding the gas tax have reemerged due to the rate increases at NJ Transit, coupled with a cutback in service, which resulted in 3 days straight of 90 minute delays on all NJ rail systems into NYC. All because the TTF has no money, which leads us back to the renewed call to raise the gas tax.  This situation will only strengthen the drumbeat to increase the gas tax. I hope that this issue will be taken up in the lame duck legislature after the election in November, and that SELF SERVE will be included as part of the solution, to soften the blow to motorists and lower costs by about 10 cents/gallon. Here's a LINK to an interview I did with CBS2's Christine Sloan.
 
Next, I want to draw your attention to a specific section of the August issue of the newsletter that you receive from the NJ Lottery, which contains a request for lottery retailers to participate in special events like sporting events, concerts and festivals to promote the NJ Lottery to event attendees. This could be good exposure for your store if any of these events are held in your general vicinity. Not only will you have an opportunity to sell a high volume of lottery, but Lottery Commission is offering an additional stipend for the time that you spend. Please give this call for volunteers some solid consideration.
 
Finally, the time has come to pack our bags and head South.  This will be NJGCA's last Road Warrior coming out of the Springfield office. We will be in the process of moving all next week, so please, please be patient with us. We do not expect any interruption of service, but if for some reason you cannot get hold of us by phone, please email us.  I have additionally listed all staff phone numbers here so that you can contact us no matter what:
 
Sal: sal@njgca.org or 201-745-1914
Debbie: debbie@njgca.org or 908-303-3193
Eric: eric@njgca.org or 201-704-3857
Jacy: jacy@njgca.org or 908-892-2460
Greg: greg@njgca.org or 732-558-8126
 
Remember, the new office address is 4900 Rt 33 West, Wall Twp., NJ 07753. The phone number is 732-256-9646.  We look forward to inviting you to come visit us in our new space!

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)

Emissions Inspector Class being offered in Wall Township (Monmouth County) on Wednesday, August 19, 2015!! Click HERE for Class Info and Registration Form!

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ETEP Re-Cert, Sections 8, 9 and 10 being offered in NORTH and SOUTH Jersey -- DAY and EVENING Classes Available!

For Class Informational Flyer, please click here.
For Class Registration Form, 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 BENEFIT PARTNER GILL ENERGY LOOKING TO HIRE FOR (3) DIFFERENT POSITIONS!

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

7/20/2015:
TIA Vows "Fight to End" on Mandatory Tire Registration
The Tire Industry Association (TIA) said it will “do everything in its power” to defeat legislation to re-establish mandatory tire registration. The Bowie, Md.-based trade group is organizing both its members and state tire dealership associations in a grassroots effort to prevent passage of a mandatory registration bill, either as stand-alone legislation or -- more likely -- as a provision in the transportation funding reauthorization that Congress must pass by July 31.  “I haven't seen our phones light up like this in 30 years,” said TIA Executive Vice President Roy Littlefield in a telephone conversation with Tire Business regarding the issue. “The small dealers are worried about the fines, and the large dealers are worried about having to give up their customer lists to the manufacturers.” The Tire Efficiency, Safety and Registration Act, S 1741, was introduced in the Senate July 9. Among other things, the legislation, which is backed mostly the Rubber Manufacturers Association, would require independent tire dealers to register the tires they sell. The Senate bill came closely on introduction of the GROW AMERICA Act, the Obama administration's six-year, $478 billion transportation funding bill that also contains a provision mandating tire registration by independent dealers.
 
 
07/20/2015:
Will the Nuclear Deal with Iran Have an Impact on Gas Prices?
Will the nuclear deal with Iran speed the flow of more crude oil to our shores and bring a drop in gas prices?  Congressional approval not withstanding, our experts say that any oil won't hit our  shores until 2016.  Until then, it depends on the status of own oil supplies and the markets to influence prices. "It'll take some time for them to get their infrastructure fully utilized and get the oil to the world marketplace," said Jeff Pelton, petroleum industry analyst for Gas Buddy.com. "It is definitely going to help lower gas prices, but it isn't an immediate impact, as some people have been led to believe." Pelton said there is speculation that Iran has several large barges of crude oil all ready to be moved when a deal in finalized and approved, but even that oil will take time to hit the world oil market "Yes, this will have an impact on the world crude supply," Pelton said. "However, the real impact here will be felt more in 2016, not 2015."
 
7/20/2015:
Strategic Petroleum Reserve Shouldn’t be Used to Fill Federal Coffers
Congress should not use the nation’s emergency oil stockpile as an ATM, with sales of the crude funding unrelated legislative priorities, Sen. Lisa Murkowski said after touring one Louisiana site that makes up the United States’ Strategic Petroleum Reserve.  “Any potential revenue raised through the rightsizing of the SPR should be used to improve our nation’s energy security,” said Murkowski, R-Alaska, the head of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “Ensuring the operational effectiveness of the reserve should be our first priority.” Murkowski’s comments come as House Republican leaders look to the sale of excess oil from the SPR as a potential source of funding for other initiatives. Earlier this month, the House of Representative voted for a health care research bill with a plan to help pay for it by selling 64 million barrels of oil in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for about $5.4 billion. And lawmakers now looking to renew the federal Highway Trust Fund that pays for transportation projects are considering a $7 billion sale of SPR crude.
 
07/20/2015:
Family Still Giving Full Service At Madera Gas Station (California)
For 40 years, Madera station owner Joe Teran has taken pride in providing full service at his gas station, in Fresno, CA. Joe said, “Our signs do read self–serve... because Chevron wants it listed like that. I like to call it a service station." Joe has been working there since high school in the early 70s.  Daughter Justine Teran appreciates the work ethic she and her family have learned working at the station. “It teaches you to be open with the public. It teaches you that you can put the cell phone down for two seconds and ask how a person's day is, instead of being glued to the thing,” said Justine. "When my dad retires, we'll continue to run it exactly the same way and nothing will change. We'll keep giving that full service to the people out there," said Justine. A full service station is a rare site these days as stations have done away with attendants to cut costs, but in Oregon and New Jersey, gas stations are legally required to be full service. In case you are wondering where the Madera station is, it’s the Chevron at Yosemite and Pine.

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.