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January 10, 2019

Dear NJGCA Member:

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

Here is what you will find in this edition:

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE:

• Business Organizations Unite to Slow $15 Minimum Wage; Wage and Hour Webinar Success; Governor Murphy Signs Predatory Towing Act; Final Reminder: New Jersey Tax Amnesty

NJGCA CLASSIFIEDS
- Mercer County: Gas Station for Sale
- Monmouth County: Gas Station and Repair Shop Business Since 2001
- Bergen County: Shell Gas Station with 6-Bay Repair Shop for Sale

NEWS AROUND THE STATE

• New Jersey Minimum Wage Stall Curbs State’s Vision As Democratic Trendsetter
• Gas Demand Falls to Two-Year Low
• Tech Innovations Fuel An Oil And Gas Fightback
• Murphy And Top N.J. Dems Support Drivers Licenses For Undocumented Immigrants. But Advocates Fear It’s Being Stalled.
• NJBIA, Hudson County Chamber Join Suit To Strike Down Payroll Tax

TRAINING CLASS SCHEDULE!

??????• EMISSIONS INSPECTOR TRAINING CLASS: MONDAY, January 28th, THURSDAY, February 28th, March TBD.
??????• ENTIRE EMISSION REPAIR TECHNICIAN PROGRAM: Coming Soon in February/March
??????• RECERTIFICATION EMISSION REPAIR TECHNICIAN PROGRAM: Coming Soon in February/March

MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE BOARD
• The Amato Agency: Garage Insurance and Workers Compensation!
• ATS Environmental: Confidence in your Tank & Compliance Testing
• Bellomo Fuel: Exceptional Service, Aggressive Petroleum Marketing
• CBIZ Insurance: Our Business is Growing Yours!
• Gill Energy: Getting you There!
• Lending Capital: "Commercial Loans Made Easy" Program
• Salomone Brothers: Tank Testing and Environmental Compliance
• TMP Energy Solutions: Another Way to Save On Your Energy Bills

POLITICAL PARTICIPATON: THE NJGCA PAC
• Participate in the NJGCA PAC today and help us keep our Agenda rolling in Trenton!

Energy Information Agency Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices

JOIN NJGCA ON FACEBOOK -- CLICK HERE
TO SEE OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL -- CLICK HERE
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER-- CLICK HERE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE:

BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS UNITE TO SLOW $15 MINIMUM WAGE
WAGE AND HOUR WEBINAR SUCCESS
GOVERNOR MURPHY SIGNS PREDATORY TOWING ACT
FINAL REMINDER: NEW JERSEY TAX AMNESTY

Our coalition of business organizations that have taken a stand for the last three years to block $15 minimum wage met again in Trenton yesterday. Going around the table, all are in agreement that it is impossible for this not to eventually pass. Our strategy is to prepare for action to be taken on this in the legislature in the next few weeks. Each of our organizations has its own interest in this and has requested certain compromises and amendments and carve outs. Collectively, the business community is approaching this from a reasonable point of view, and has so far been successful in convincing legislators who actually favor increasing the minimum wage that our requests are very reasonable. We are hoping that enough legislators will continue to be fractured and unable to come to a consensus. There is also a fracture between the leadership in the legislature and the governor, and we are working that fracture to every possible advantage. No, I do not know how long we will continue holding this off, because frankly, as I have said many times, I expected this to pass in early 2018. We will keep doing what we are doing, please be prepared to take action as soon as I notify you that action must be taken. Phone calls and emails to legislators are going to be very important.

We had a very successful webinar yesterday on wage and hour law. We will be posting the recording of that webinar in the coming weeks on our website for those of you who were unable to join yesterday or would like to re-listen. I want to thank our MBP Alicyn Craig from McCusker, Anselmi, Rosen & Carvelli (MARC) Law for taking the time to inform our members of these important laws. The next webinar subject will be hiring and firing. We will notify you shortly of the date. I’m really happy to see the number of members that are taking advantage of participating in these webinars and asking questions. They were great questions that were asked yesterday. All of the professionals that we have been consulting with and are helping us produce these webinars strongly suggest that your business should have an employee handbook that will help eliminate exposure to any legal issues with your employees. Please email Michelle at michelle@njgca.org to let her know if you would be interested in an employee handbook, I want to figure out how NJGCA can help.

Last week the Governor signed the revisions to the Predatory Towing Act, which removes the conflicts when you have been called by the police to tow a vehicle. Thanks to several of our members who have larger towing operations and Senator Sarlo for initiating this effort.

Finally, I want to give one last reminder that the deadline to take advantage of New Jersey’s tax amnesty program will end January 15th. If you do not take advantage of this, any and all taxes, penalties, and loan shark interests will be due shortly after, and an additional 5% unwaivable penalty on any eligible amount not resolved will be added to the final amount due. If any of you are in this situation and would like to discuss it, feel free to call me and we can speak privately. IF YOU HAVE DELINQUENT TAX ISSUES, DO NOT IGNORE THIS OPPORTUNITY. Find more information HERE.

That's all for this week-

Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

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

Emissions Inspector Training Class - One Day Only!
MONDAY, January 28th, 2019 -- 7 AM to 3 PM
THURSDAY, February 28th, 2019 -- 7 AM to 3 PM
OR
March TBD -- 7 AM to 3 PM

Want one of your technicians to become a NJ Emissions Inspector? We can help! Our one-day class will provide all the information for becoming a NJ Emissions Inspector, and the State will administer the written test the very same day at our offices! We are offering the class: Monday, January 28th, Thursday, February 28th, and Tuesday, March 26th from 7:00am to 3:00pm. Cost is $275 for members. Click HERE for January, and HERE for February registration forms. March date coming soon.

Want to become an emission repair technician/facility?
Entire Emission Technician Education Program (ETEP) Training Classes
Sections 1-7
1 PM to 9 PM
February through March: Exact dates coming soon!

Sections 8, 9, 10 (RECERTIFICATION)
1 PM to 9 PM
February through March: Exact dates coming soon!

Stop turning away work!

The New Jersey Inspection Program requires vehicles that fail emissions inspection to go to a Licensed Certified Emission Repair Facility and have a Licensed Emission Repair Technician perform the repairs! When the new Emissions Inspection program begins, a list of Certified Emission Repair Facilities will be given to the vehicle owners who fail the New Jersey Emission Inspection. If you want your business name on the list – make sure you have a Certified Licensed Emission Repair Technician and you are licensed as a Emission Repair Facility! Those signing up for the FULL training course will attend sections 1-10. Full ETEP class fees for members are $2,195 and non-members are $2,395. Recertification fees for members are $729 and non-members are $879.

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

NEW!
FOR SALE:
GAS STATION FOR SALE
EWING NEW JERSEY
OWNER RETIRING
CALL: 609-882-1105

FOR SALE:

Business For Sale: Monmouth County gas station and repair shop in business since 2001 is for sale. Owner is relocating out of state and is interested in selling business and equipment. Owner is open to limited financing. Business has a strong 10 year lease. The building has two repair bays and the gas pumps are leased to a large independent tenant. Repair shop business currently employs a Manager and two full-time Technicians. For inquiries and more info, please call Mark at 908-670-7798.

FOR SALE:

Shell Gas Station with 6-Bay Repair Shop for Sale in Bergen County!

Business established in 1980. Fully equipped repair shop with 5 lifts including an alignment rack with a 2-year-old Hunter Hawkeye alignment machine. New Hunter tire machine & wheel balancer. AAA approved and very busy.

Towing business also available which includes 3 Freightliner/JerrDan flatbeds (2015, 2016 & 2017), a 2012 Dodge crew cab wrecker with a Jerrdan Quick Pick & dual cable winch & 2 service trucks (a 2012 GMC 2500 utility truck with a plow & a 2014 Ford transit battery/service vehicle).

Pumping over 1,000,000 gallons per year. 100x300 lot with plenty of parking. Excellent location!!! Call Jim @ 201-851-3084.

NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

1/8/19
New Jersey Minimum Wage Stall Curbs State’s Vision As Democratic Trendsetter
Democrat Phil Murphy was elected governor of deep blue New Jersey in 2017 promising to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. With Democrats finally enjoying unified control of the state government after eight years of Chris Christie, leaders in the Assembly and Senate said they wanted to do the same. Yet more than a year later, New Jersey’s minimum wage is at $8.85 an hour, barely changed from when Murphy was elected. The lack of change is emblematic of intra-Democratic fighting in the Garden State and is a window into how challenging it‘s been for the Murphy administration to fulfill its self-styled role as a Democratic standard-bearer and liberal policy leader in the Trump era.

1/8/19
Gas Demand Falls to Two-Year Low
Gas demand has hit a two-year low while the national average price of gas continues to slide, AAA reported. The latest Energy Information Administration (EIA) data recorded gasoline demand at 8.6 million b/d for the week ending Dec. 28, marking the lowest level on record since February 2017. Even as drivers ramped up holiday travel at the end of 2018, gasoline demand was down nearly 900,000 bbl, pointing to the probability that demand this winter could be lower than expected.

1/8/19
Tech Innovations Fuel An Oil And Gas Fightback
This video from the Financial Times discusses technological advances and innovations in data management could save the oil and gas industry $75bn a year by 2023. Along with cost savings, increased production made possible by new methods will push down oil prices, and help the industry fight back against advances in renewable energy, battery storage and electric vehicles.

1/5/19
Murphy And Top N.J. Dems Support Drivers Licenses For Undocumented Immigrants. But Advocates Fear It’s Being Stalled.
Advocates have spent years pushing New Jersey to change its laws to allow hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants living here to obtain drivers licenses. And for years, the push has stalled. . .Still, a year after Murphy was sworn in, such a law doesn’t exist. No bill has even come up for a vote in the Democrat-controlled state Legislature. Now, some advocates are concerned the issue will be put off until the end of the year. That’s because all 80 seats in the state Assembly, the Legislature’s lower house, are up for grabs in November’s elections, and some fear Democrats in charge want to avoid tackling a controversial issue that could fire up the Republican base and lead to negative campaign ads.

1/4/19
NJBIA, Hudson County Chamber Join Suit To Strike Down Payroll Tax
The Hudson County Chamber of Commerce and New Jersey Business and Industry Association announced Friday they would join several regional and statewide business advocacy groups, as well as real estate-developer Mack-Cali and some of its subsidiaries, in suing Jersey City and New Jersey to strike down a recent law allowing some cities to enact a one percent payroll tax. The 71 page, 15-count suit, filed in Hudson County Superior Court on Dec. 11, 2018, calls the tax, which the City Council adopted in November, a vague, slapdash and unconstitutional “house of cards.”

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 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 PARTICIPATION: 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.

Energy Information Agency Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices

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