November 26, 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! 

NJGCA FIGHTS AGAINST APPLYING THE SALES TAX TO GASOLINE
HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE NJGCA FAMILY TO YOURS!

I'll start with a brief update on the critical issue of the moment: raising the gas tax in the LEAST harmful way possible to gasoline retailers.  As you know, we are continuing to fight diligently against any proposal that would change the collection mechanism and make retailers responsible for collecting and remitting the tax each month. Since last week, nothing has changed.  We are continuing to meet with legislators, and this is still a VERY serious concern for me. Rest assured that we are doing all we can to prevent this change from taking place. Eventually, we will likely need to ask YOU for your help as well, as we continue to explain the pitfalls of this proposal to anyone that will listen.
 
But, nothing's going to change this week, so for now, let's take this time to be with our families and be thankful for our blessings, we sometimes forget. This is a special time of year that helps remind us that we have much to be thankful for. We all have plenty of reasons to be fearful, or at least concerned, about world events and a difficult economy. But when we think about it, all of us have plenty of reasons to still remain thankful for many blessings that are sometimes taken for granted.
 
Although some of you have just traversed a difficult year economically, and although the road ahead looks like it may be difficult, you will always have a bounty of food on your table and a loving family to share it with. I would like to wish you all the most Happy of Thanksgivings, and I pray that you will all receive God’s blessings, so that you will have much to be thankful for next year too.
 
I encourage you that no matter how difficult it may be, to please spend time with your families and be thankful together. This is a great time to take the kids or grandchildren to a parade or a football game. This is a great time to enjoy the bountiful meals we are so blessed to share. This is just a great time to be with your family and friends. Get away from those gas pumps, get away from those wrenches, get away from your convenience stores.  Be thankful!
 
I thank you for your continued support as we strive to fight battles together.  I thank you for persevering through a difficult economy, and I especially thank you for having the guts and the stick-to-it-ness that makes you special small business owners. I am thankful for that.
 
Have a very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving! 

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)

NJGCA is offering the Emission Repair Technician RE-CERTIFICATION class in December.

FOR REGISTRATION INFO FOR THE EMISSION REPAIR TECHNICIAN RE-CERTIFICATION, 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 

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

• NJGCA regularly assists 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 ads 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! 

NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

11/26/2014:
Lawmakers Seek Roadmap to Fund Transportation
NJ lawmakers continue to weigh a number of options aimed at paying for transportation projects across the state, including some that could hit drivers' wallets when they go to fill their gas tanks. One problem with the state's transportation trust fund is that all the money the state sets aside for it goes toward paying down existing debt. Meanwhile, the program to finance roads and bridges also includes debt -- a combination of bonds and cash from the Port Authority of NY and NJ. The Legislature and Gov. Christie want to reach an agreement for transportation funding by July 1, when officials will have to decide whether to take on more debt or abandon new projects. A closer look at options being discussed and how they could affect residents. A portion of the state's 7% sales tax already goes toward the transportation trust fund, amounting to $518 million for fiscal year 2015. But those taxes are not applied to the sale of gasoline. Worried that lawmakers could apply the state's sales tax to gas, advocates for NJ's convenience store operators are mounting an effort to convince officials it's a bad idea. For one, gas prices fluctuate, which means the state could face difficulty calculating its income. Another issue is the possibility that retailers could evade paying the tax to the state, said Sal Risalvato, executive director of the NJ Gasoline, Convenience Store and Automotive Association. He cited Illinois, where he said gas retailers evaded paying $100 million.
 
11/24/2014:
NJ Assembly's paid sick-leave bill as written is unfair to employers: Opinion
Cities across NJ have enacted mandatory paid sick leave laws during the past year, and now an effort is under way to pass similar legislation at the state level. Although proponents of the bill focus on allowing employees to stay home when they are sick, the legislation would do significantly more than that. As drafted, the bill would create unprecedented liability for NJ’s employers, making NJ the only state where an employee can sue over the paid sick leave requirement. Under A2354, an employee who does almost anything remotely related to paid sick leave - takes paid sick leave, mentions they might take paid sick leave in the near future, or simply informs a fellow employee about the availability of paid sick leave - gets a 90-day window during which any “adverse action” taken against them by their employer is presumed to be retaliatory.
 
11/24/2014:
More Oil to Travel on N.J. railroads
As debate rages in Washington over the environmental risks of allowing Canadian tar sands oil to be pumped across the US in the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, the Christie administration has quietly approved a permit that essentially opens NJ’s rail lines to carry that kind of oil through densely populated towns, past thousands of homes and businesses. An air permit, issued Nov. 6 by the state Department of Environmental Protection, allows Buckeye Partners to accept large amounts of Canadian tar sands oil at its newly renovated oil terminal in Perth Amboy, a move company executives have been discussing for at least the past six months. The DEP also granted the request of the company to more than double the amount of oil it can transfer annually at its wharf to almost 1.8 billion gallons, state officials confirmed. The state’s approval means there could be 330 more oil trains on NJ’s freight lines each year -- on top of the trains that already carry as much as 5 billion gallons of volatile crude from North Dakota into the state annually. But while that further solidifies NJ’s emergence as a major transportation corridor for fossil fuels, it raises more concerns among firefighters, emergency management officials and environmentalists that a derailment could lead to disaster.
 
11/24/2014:
Fox calls for transportation investment, trust fund replenishment at Newark event
Speaking at a transportation symposium held by the Newark Regional Business Partnership, NJ Department of Transportation Commissioner Jamie Fox said that he believes Americans have “accepted mediocrity” when it comes to transportation. Congested roadways, potholed streets and aging train cars: Despite their shortcomings, Fox says all have just become acceptable and routine. “We just accept it,” Fox said. “It’s part of life. I think there’s something wrong with that.” Like he has done recently elsewhere, Fox spoke about the need to replenish NJ's Transportation Trust Fund and increase investments in transportation infrastructure. Fox didn’t specify how he would like to raise revenues, but noted that, whatever the means, it will have to be transparent and dedicated to transportation. “We have to be very specific about what we’re going to spend the money on and it has to be dedicated,” Fox said. He noted that he hopes a solution emerges between now and the end of January. Having followed presentations given by Amtrak and Port Authority of NY and NJ officials, Fox also highlighted the importance of building new rail tunnels under the Hudson River.

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.