July 17, 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!

URGENT! TIRE REGISTRATION BACK ON THE RADAR
ANOTHER TOWN INCREASES THE AGE TO PURCHASE TOBACCO

Last month, we asked every member to contact their member of Congress to oppose mandatory tire registration when it was being included as a small hidden provision in a massive transportation funding bill. Our fight against that amendment was so successful that it looks like our opponents, the tire manufacturers, are choosing a new strategy: a dedicated standalone tire registration bill (S.1741) which was introduced in the US Senate by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and cosponsored by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Roger Wicker (R-MS). In this day and age its difficult to find anything that Republicans and Democrats agree on, so the fact that this bill is sponsored by powerful members of both parties automatically makes it a serious threat.
 
We also just learned that a bill called The Comprehensive Transportation and Consumer Protection Act of 2015 (S-1732) has been introduced. This also seems to be on a fasttrack in the US Senate. If it does move it may require us to ask you once again to contact members in the House of Representatives because that is where the bill will head next. Stay tuned. This is very volatile, fluid, and mostly IMPORTANT!

For now we need you to contact New Jersey's two Senators, Cory Booker (D) and Bob Menendez (D) and let them know that requiring tire sellers to register every individual tire that they sell and then send the customer's info to the tire manufacturer (who wants to sell tires directly to those customers in the future) or else face tens of thousands of dollars in fines, is a threat to the survival of the industry and that they must oppose it. This is especially important since this bill will be going through the committee on which Sen. Booker serves.
 
Although you may have already responded to previous Action Alerts and written to your Senator about this legislation, this is one issue that requires constant vigilance and advocacy.  Every time we think the monster is dead, it gets back up again. This issue is as high a priority as avoiding the application of a sales tax to gasoline was last year. And we hope to be equally as successful, but we need YOUR participation. Please click HERE to voice your concern about this bill and ask your US Senators to vote NO...
 
A second issue of critical importance which you all know that we have been working fiercely on is the issue of raising the age to purchase tobacco.  This week, the ordinance was up for a vote in Rutherford, and boy did we get steamrolled.  The vote was unanimous in favor of raising the age, and while I was comfortably enjoying a Broadway show with my wife, my very capable assistant Eric was being insulted and attacked while he tried to defend our position in a very hostile environment. To read a news article which accurately described the scene, please click here. 
 
The news article correctly notes that NJGCA "has been the biggest opponent to the change" and it is critical that we continue to be on the forefront of the issue. However, in the two towns that we were successful in, it was because our members were active and visible in the fight. I can't win this battle alone, so please be prepared to step up when I call on you!  Even if you do not operate a convenience store or sell tobacco, please help your colleagues and fellow members by opposing the efforts to take profits out of their pockets. I ask them to help you on matters that may not pertain to them too, since they don’t operate repair shops. We are brethren in this together and we must support each other!

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

07/15/2015:
The Debate Over Raising the Legal Age on Tobacco Products: Data Shows Higher Age Requirements Do Not Prevent Youth Access
This week, two Massachusetts state legislative committees held hearings on bills to raise the state’s minimum age to purchase and use tobacco products from 18 years old to 21 years old. This focus on a statewide legal age of 21 in Massachusetts follows recent news from Hawaii, which became the first state to enact an age 21 law on tobacco products. While Alabama, Alaska, NJ and Utah already have laws setting the legal age to buy and use tobacco at 19 years old, other states with legal age bills still pending include CA (age 21), Massachusetts (age 21), New Jersey (age 21), New York (age 21), Vermont (age 21) and Washington (age 19).  Several other states had legal age bills fail due to adjournment of the legislature including Iowa (age 19), Oregon (age 21), Rhode Island (age 21), Texas (age 19) and Utah (age 21).
 
07/14/2015:
What Iran’s Nuclear Deal Means for the Global Crude Oil Market
The nuclear accord reached in Vienna this week could eventually reshape global oil markets. After almost two years of talks, the holder of the world’s fourth-biggest crude reserves will benefit from an easing of international sanctions on exports in return for curbs on its nuclear program. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh says the country can increase exports by 500,000 barrels a day as soon as sanctions are lifted, then an additional 500,000 a day in the following six months. Iran produced an average of 2.8 million barrels a day this year. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. says adding 500,000 barrels a day will take about a year because Iran must first demonstrate its compliance with the terms of the nuclear accord and revive aging wells. Further expansion will need foreign investment, BNP Paribas SA says. The country also has 30 million barrels stored on tankers that it could ship more quickly, according to Bank of America Corp.
 
07/13/2015:
What is putting the brakes on cheaper gas prices?
Drivers are taking advantage of gas that is close to $1/gallon cheaper than it was the same time last year. While that makes for cheaper road trips, it's also stalling a sharper decline in gas prices, experts said.  Demand, in this case, is measured by the 9.7 million barrels of gas consumed each day, which is the highest in a decade, according to a GasBuddy.com senior oil analyst.  The good news is prices are declining ever so slightly, and a one to two cent per gallon drop from the $2.58 state average price this past week is predicted.  The lowest of the low prices stayed right where they were for the past seven days, in the $2.33 - $2.36 a gallon range for regular, according to Gas Buddy.com. Crude oil prices closed the week slightly over the $52 a barrel. Also holding the brakes on lower gas prices was that gas refinery utilization was down a fraction of a percent, due to some disruptions.
 
7/10/2015:
U.S. gasoline cracks hit multi-year highs on strong fuel demand
Tremendous demand for gasoline in the United States has pushed refining margins for motor fuel to the highest seasonal level in a decade. U.S. refiners currently earn a gross margin before costs and taxes of 65 cents per gallon for turning Brent into gasoline and 77 cents for processing WTI. At the same point last year, margins for refining Brent and WTI were 37 cents and 51 cents respectively, close to their long-term averages. The enormous profitability of turning crude into gasoline explains why U.S. refiners are running flat-out. U.S. refineries are processing a near-record 16.6 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude, almost 350,000 bpd higher than in 2014 and more than 1 million bpd above the 10-year seasonal average. Despite near-record runs, gasoline stocks remain modest, however, almost exactly in line with the long-term seasonal average, as strong demand from motorists absorbs all the fuel refiners can make. Gasoline consumption is running at more than 9.5 million bpd, the highest level since the third quarter of 2007, the U.S. Energy Information Administration says.

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.