June 6, 2014

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! 

MVC INSPECTION COMMITTEE MEETING
MEMBERSHIP MEETING RECAP
NJGCA PARTNERSHIP WITH TEXIMA GIVES MEMBERS $1,000 / YEAR
NJGCA PAC FUNDRAISER - JUNE 24, 2014
PROPOSAL TO INCREASE AGE TO PURCHASE TOBACCO PRODUCTS
C-STORE OWNERS CAUGHT SELLING SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA
REMINDER TO TAKE CRIME RESEARCH SURVEY

I want to start with a final reminder about the inspection meeting at NJGCA Headquarters on Tuesday, June 10th at 12:00 Noon.  NJGCA is fortunate enough to be in a very unique position right now to offer valuable input regarding the next MVC inspection program. If you have a repair shop, the future of this program is of critical importance to you.  This is your last chance to volunteer to participate in next Tuesday's meeting. Lunch will be served, so please respond to sal@njgca.org to ensure that we order enough food. 
 
Our recent Membership Meetings were a great success. I was happy to see members engaging in critical dialogue -- with NJGCA staff and amongst themselves. It is so important for like-minded business owners to compare notes -- to determine what works in other businesses and what doesn't -- and to share experiences. You don't realize the importance of that collegiality until you are right there in the moment, benefiting from it.
 
Just as exciting was the great interaction that I witnessed between our members and our MBPs. Many of our MBPs were at either one or both of the meetings, and we were pleased to see so many of our members inquiring about the products/services that our MBPs provide. NJGCA strives to partner with companies that have similar goals -- to create programs that are beneficial and prosperous for NJGCA members, and to be considerate of the motoring public and community at large. In that vein, I introduced a new, exciting program on Tuesday night at the Toms River Membership Meeting that has been in the works for several months (unfortunately the details were not worked out in time for the Pompton Plains meeting).
 
However, I will take this opportunity to provide a brief introduction to the program because it truly requires almost NO effort on your part and will result in a $1,000 check being mailed to you every December. THAT'S RIGHT!! All you have to do is be a member of NJGCA and permit Texima, a company that NJGCA has recently partnered with, to place a used clothing collection bin on your site, wherever you would like it placed -- and you do nothing except collect a check for $1,000 that I will send every December. Let me repeat that one more time: You do nothing except be an NJGCA member, place the bins somewhere at your location, and I send you a check for $1,000 in December of every year. To learn more about the program, click here. Please contact Greg at NJGCA so that we can send a representative from Texima to your location and get started right away. If you have two locations, that’s $2,000!! If you have 5 locations, that's $5,000. And if you have 10 locations, I send you $10,000!!  What are you waiting for?
 
It's also time to start reminding you about our first big NJGCA Political Action Committee (PAC) fundraiser of the year, to be held on June 24th in Forked River/Lacey Township.  This will be a clay shooting event, fun for everyone, whether you are an amateur or expert shooter. For complete information, please click here for the invitation and response form. YOU CAN REGISTER AND PAY FOR THE EVENT ONLINE BY CLICKING HERE! We also have a sponsorship form if you know of a business, corporation, supplier, or anyone that you work closely with who you think might be interested in supporting our cause. Please, join us as we work to influence positive changes and prevent destructive policies in Trenton!
 
For an example of the battles that NJGCA has to fight, just yesterday I went down to Trenton to oppose a bill that would increase the age to purchase cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and all tobacco products from 19 to 21 years old. To hear Sal's testimony in front of the committee, please click here. With help from the funds that the NJGCA PAC brings in, NJGCA is able to make contributions to legislators' campaign accounts. Many of you ask why we can't write checks out of our general fund, using your dues money. The answer is because I would go to jail! I am not permitted to use the money from your dues to contribute to candidates. The laws are strict! Every contribution must be reported, and every expenditure must be reported to the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC). So unless you make contributions voluntarily to our PAC, I don't have funds to make these contributions.
 
I also want to make brief mention of a news story I read this week, about three convenience store owners in NJ being charged with possession of synthetic marijuana and intent to distribute. Police seized over 900 bags of synthetic cannabis in one convenience store, another 120 bags at a second convenience store, and over 100 bags from the home of one of the c-store owners. In addition to the synthetic marijuana, which was valued at over $30,000, police also seized over $40,000 in cash.  I am bringing this to your attention because enforcement officials target c-stores. I don't want to find myself writing about YOU in this newsletter. I had to do that once before and I don't want to do it again. You must be vigilant, especially because even if an employee engages in wrongdoing, you could be held responsible, and the negative publicity isn’t really all that good for business!  Get my point!

Finally, please take note of the crime research survey that we are still conducting. If you haven't yet done so, please take a few minutes this weekend to fill out the survey and provide us with critical information that will help us keep your businesses and your employees safe! CLICK HERE!

Thanks for reading -- See you next week!

Regards,
Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

CLASSIFIEDS! -- FOR SALE & HELP WANTED ADS 

Do you have a business for sale?  Are you looking for a new location or opportunity?

• NJGCA was recently able to lend a hand to members looking to sell their business by getting the word out.  Since everyone reading this message is involved in the small business gasoline retail, convenience store, and automotive repair trades, it is an ideal medium to connect with interested buyers and prospects!

NJGCA also helps members sell equipment by placing advertisements in the Road Warrior!

• If you'd like to list equipment for sale, or have an open position you'd like to make other industry professionals aware of, please contact NJGCA at 973-376-0066 and let us help you get the word out! 

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! 

06/05/2014:
Pro-Tesla electric car bill advances in NJ Assembly
A month and a half after the Motor Vehicle Commission forced Telsa to halt direct sales at its two stores in Short Hills and Paramus, the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee approved a bill that would allow Tesla to restart the sales – and open two more stores. The vote was 4-0. The bill would allow Tesla, or any company that sells zero-emission vehicles directly to consumers, to open up to four stores in the Garden State.  The companies would also be required to have at least one facility that services the vehicles. Although it had previously allowed Tesla to sell the cars, the Motor Vehicle Commission justified stopping it because of a state law from the 1970s that requires cars to be sold through dealerships . Tesla officials said that sales model does not work for their product because dealerships make much of their money from maintenance, and Teslas – which currently start at $70,000 – require far less maintenance than traditional cars.
 
06/02/2014:
C-Stores Look to Supreme Court on Swipe Fees
Representatives of the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) and the National Retail Federation (NRF) said the groups intend to petition the Supreme Court to review their  case surrounding debit-card swipe fees, potentially opening a new chapter in a winding legal battle that has pitted convenience store owners and other retailer against banks and the Federal Reserve.  The groups were dealt a blow in March when a federal appeals court rejected their arguments and said the Fed adopted reasonable rules for the fees, which merchants pay banks each time a debit card is swiped. The merchants will argue once again that the Fed rule allows fees beyond what the 2010 Dodd-Frank law requires, Douglas Kantor, a lawyer representing retailers, told the newspaper. A U.S. district court in July 2013 sided with the retailers. The Fed appealed, and a three-judge appeals panel in March reversed the lower court's decision and upheld the Fed's rules. The retailers had the option of appealing to the full appellate court or directly to the Supreme Court. The retail groups have until June 19 to petition the high court, and on Monday they asked the court to extend that deadline until July 21, the report said.
 
05/31/2014:
Cops seize $30K worth of synthetic pot & $40K cash from Somerville convenience stores
Three c-store owners were found with large quantities of cash and synthetic marijuana in two Somerville convenience stores, authorities said. The three were charged with possession of synthetic marijuana with intent to distribute. During the past month the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Organized Crime and Narcotics Task Force initiated and pursued a narcotics investigation based on tips that synthetic cannabis was being distributed from two Somerville convenience stores, the statement said. Last Thursday, task force detectives, members of the US Drug Enforcement Agency and Somerville Police executed search warrants on the c-stores, and as task force members searched the Krauszer's store, co-owner Umesh B. Patel, was advised of the investigation. The search of Krauszer's resulted in the seizure of 902 bags of synthetic cannabis from a store refrigerator, and 60 additional bags were found in a back room storage are, along with almost $35K in cash.
 
05/27/2014:
California Group Launches 'Fed Up at the Pump' Campaign
A newly formed coalition of business owners and employees, consumers and advocates have launched the "Fed Up at the Pump" campaign to educate and inform California motorists about a state agency-mandated gasoline and diesel price increase that it said will have a negative impact on the economy. Starting Jan. 1, 2015, Californians will pay an estimated 15 cents or more per gallon of gasoline as a result of a "hidden tax" that was created by the administration of Governor Jerry Brown without consumer input or legislative review. The goal of the Fed Up at the Pump campaign is to put a stop to this hidden, regressive gasoline fee created by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as part of its "Fuels Under the Cap" regulations before it goes into effect, because it will disproportionately affect lower-income Californians, and there is no guarantee the expected $2 billion generated in the first year will go to programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the group said. Some lawmakers have already introduced legislation to spend those funds on High Speed Rail and affordable housing.

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

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.