TRAINING CLASSES!!

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

                                                                                                                                                               

 CLASSIFIEDS! -- FOR SALE & HELP WANTED ADS

                                                                                                                                                                         

NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

05/23/2017:
SuperStorm Sandy showed need for gasoline reserves in Northeast. Trump wants to sell them off.
After a weeks-long shortage of gasoline in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the US Energy Department stockpiled 1 million barrels of fuel for northeastern motorists in case of another major storm. Now President Donald Trump wants to sell off the reserves. Trump's spending plan for the 12 months beginning Oct. 1 would sell the contents of the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve, which currently consist of 700,000 barrels near NY Harbor, 200,000 barrels near Boston and 100,000 in South Portland, Maine, according to the US Energy Department. The reserve was established after Hurricane Sandy damaged two refineries and forced the closure of 40+ storage terminals in NY Harbor, contributing to a shortage of gasoline. The Energy Department website said the stockpile was needed because "the Northeast region of the US is particularly vulnerable to gasoline disruptions as a result of hurricanes and other natural events." But the budget called the reserve a "cost-inefficient use of resources." In announcing the reserve in 2014, then-Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said it was part of the agency's response to the "effects of climate change we already see occurring here at home." Trump has called climate change a "Chinese hoax" and has named to his Cabinet officials who question the overwhelming scientific consensus that emissions from burning fossil fuels are contributing to global warming. There also is a Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve, consisting of one million barrels of diesel fuel that was tapped for first responders and emergency generators after Hurricane Sandy.
 
05/23/2017:
Dispute over debit card fees delays Dodd-Frank repeal
A fierce internal House GOP dispute over debit-card swipe fees is threatening to delay a sweeping Republican bill to scale back banking regulations enacted after the 2008 financial crisis. The behind-the-scenes tug of war is pitting House Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), author of the so-called Financial CHOICE Act, against some of his own committee members — all while an army of lobbyists has stormed the Hill to try to kill or save the legislation. The fight centers on a single sentence in the nearly 600-page text that would give banks greater freedom to hike debit card fees for retailers. Those fees were capped as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank law, which strengthened banking rules after the 2008 crisis. During a closed-door Republican Conference meeting this week, Hensarling made a last-minute pitch to his colleagues to get in line behind the legislation, calling the debate the “elephant in the room.” But Republican opponents of the provision, led by Reps. David Young of Iowa and Dennis Ross of Florida, have started their own counter-whip to strip it from the text. The provision would remove the debit-card-fee cap, which is often referred to as the Durbin Amendment after its sponsor, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). “If Durbin is repealed, two major companies will have over 80% share of the market [and] will dictate the price of routing fees -- all to the detriment of consumers,” Ross said. Ross, who wants the bill to pass without the cap repeal, called the provision an “impediment to passage” that “will put members in a position of having to take a vote between two groups that they support: retailers and bankers.”

05/23/2017:
Enraged customer punches attendant who won't let him pump his own gas
Police are looking for a patron who allegedly punched a pump attendant in the face after a dispute over who should pump the gas.  It happened at a 7-Eleven in the 700 block of Route 70 on May 10, 2017. Police released a photo Tuesday in an effort to identify him. The driver of the vehicle began arguing with the pump attendant after he was told that he was not permitted to pump his own gas, police said. During the argument, a passenger in the car became involved and allegedly punched the pump attendant in the face, police said. Both males then fled in a newer style black "muscle car," possibly a Mustang or Camaro, police said. The gas attendant was not serious injured. Authorities are asking for the public's help to identify the pair.
 
05/23/2017:
Bill to expand self-service gas in rural Oregon counties heads to governor’s desk
A bill to expand the hours of self-serve gas stations in rural counties in Eastern Oregon is headed to Gov. Kate Brown’s desk, after the Senate passed it this week with a 26-to-1 vote. Oregon is one of only two states that prohibits customers from pumping their own fuel at gas stations. New Jersey is the other state. Two years ago, the Legislature passed a bill to allow self-fueling between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. in certain rural counties, to prevent travelers from being stranded overnight. “In many smaller communities, people would get stuck without a full tank of gas” because no gas stations were open, said Sen. Rod Monroe, D-Portland, who carried the bill to the floor. The bill expands that period to 24 hours in 15 counties, with populations of less than 40,000. Stations would still be required to have at least one attendant between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., but customers could pump their own gas if the attendant is busy and a card-lock machine is available. In Eastern Oregon, some locally owned gas stations have been at risk of closure due to the expense of hiring fueling attendants to pump customers’ gas, said chief sponsor Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario. “We are trying to preserve these stations out in the middle of nowhere so that we have fuel available,” Bentz said during a hearing on the bill in March. Opponents feared the change would threaten the jobs of those who pump fuel for a living.

                                                                                                                                                                  

MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE BOARD:

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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.