What better summertime activity than going to a ballgame, and NJGCA is giving our members and their families and colleagues a FREE fun opportunity to do so! It’ll be a nice night to spend with kids, grandkids, or as a thank you to your employees. Join us on either Friday, July 28th at the Jersey Shore Blue Claws in Lakewood (a Phillies affiliate) or on Thursday, August 24th at the Somerset Patriots in Bridgewater (a Yankees affiliate) at 6 PM for BBQ and baseball and fireworks! You may attend one or both dates, but tickets are limited, so make sure you register ASAP at www.njgca.org/ baseball.
Are you interested in sponsoring the event? Contact Joe Ocello at joe@njgca.org.
Menthol Cigarettes Ban in New Jersey
Last week we mentioned there was a hearing in the Senate Health Committee for the bill that would ban the sale of menthols in the state of New Jersey. NJGCA was one of numerous groups to testify against it, and you can read that testimony HERE. As expected, the bill passed committee. We’re hopeful though it won’t be moving further anytime in the near future, and that the state will instead wait for the federal ban to go into effect in about 18 months. However, in the long term, if the federal ban were to fall apart, you can expect to see this move forward in New Jersey. Thank you to those members who took the time to contact their legislators on this matter.
As an aside, one member of the Health Committee actually mentioned he supported outlawing all cigarettes in the future. Could this mean that we may see a future in which marijuana is legal and cigarettes illegal?
Catalytic Converter Thefts
Federal legislation was recently proposed by Senator Menendez to establish a task force to identify ways to curb the recent increase of catalytic converter thefts and sales on the black market, which have reached epidemic levels in New Jersey. This comes on the heels a multi-state catalytic converter theft ring bust that netted over $500 million which included New Jersey, and state legislation by Governor Murphy in May making it more difficult for criminals in New Jersey to sell stolen catalytic converters to scrap yards and easier for law enforcement to identify, locate, and prosecute violators, which NJGCA supported. The goal of the task force is to assess laws, regulations, law enforcement practices and resources and make recommendations to Congress, the U.S. Attorney General and transportation secretary on reforms to deter, prevent and prosecute converter theft. The legal backing and legislation at the federal level allow all the agencies involved in curbing these thefts the ability to better monitor how these rings operate and crack down on businesses that receive stolen converters.
Member Spotlight: Nicks Towing Service Inc.
Nick’s Towing Service, Inc. is guided by a set of values and principles and run by family since 1972. They empower staff to provide fast, courteous, efficient service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This dedication to service is evident with their promotion of the ‘Slow Down Move Over’ law for operators of any vehicle on the side of the road with lights flashing (such as police, towing, ambulance, construction, etc.) to keep them safe. Vehicles should try to move over and give them a lane, or slow 10-20 mph under the speed limit. You can learn more about Slow Down Move Over by watching this video, featuring Nick Testa, owner of Nick’s Towing Service.
They proudly promote the professional image of the industry and its employees who go above and beyond to serve their community. They employ multiple drivers who have saved motorists from vehicles either on the job or just by stopping after seeing something.
All classes held at NJGCA HQ -- 615 Hope Road, Building 2, 1st Floor, Eatontown, NJ 07724
ASE Training Course - Reach Out Today!
Are you (or an employee) getting ready to take your A6, A8, or L1 in preparation to recertifying your Emission Repair Technician (ERT) credentials through the State's Emission Technician Education Program (ETEP)?
We can help --- but we need to hear from you, first! NJGCA wants to hear from students interested in our ASE-prep training program, so we can gauge demand and schedule our next session series.
As you know, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has always maintained a "dual-track" system to allow technicians to earn their Emission Repair Technician (ERT) credentials through New Jersey's Emission Technician Education Program (ETEP). In doing so, technicians were allowed to certify as ERTs through either an ASE-test track or an ETEP-educational class track. Starting on January 1, 2020, NJDEP amended the ETEP criteria, and the ETEP-educational class track was abolished.
Today, only the ASE-test track remains, and all ERTs must certify or re-certify their credentials though ASE to remain in the Program.
NJGCA has recently offered an ASE-prep class to help you get ready for the A6, A8, and L1. In doing so, students were welcome to participate in a ten-session preparatory class that covered material for all three ASE exams. We also had a handful of students who joined us only for the A8 or L1 sections.
Once completed, students took their ASE exams with a local ASE-approved test proctor (NJGCA can train you to prepare for the ASE exams, but are not permitted to offer the actual exam - students must make these arrangements individually themselves).
Building on that success, we are now seeking student participation in our next training series session. To make arrangements and organize a session, we need to hear from you!
Electric vehicles could make buying a car less stressful. They could also prolong the sales hustle well after you leave the dealership. General Motors is in the process of rolling out a new digital sales platform so that customers can buy its products fully online, fully in dealerships or in a combination of both. Ford will introduce nonnegotiable pricing for its F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E EVs starting next year. . .Most of the new approaches borrow from Tesla in one way or another. The EV pioneer sells directly to consumers at prices that, while changing frequently, don’t leave room for individual bargaining. The high margins it achieved before this year’s price cuts probably wouldn’t have been possible without cutting out the middleman. Many consumers prefer the transparency of nonnegotiable pricing even if it means they get a worse deal: Haggling with car dealers is a process few enjoy. But consumers still enjoy the convenience of dealers. Direct-to-consumer EV sellers Tesla, Lucid and Rivian ranked among the worst in a 2022 customer satisfaction survey of luxury brands conducted by research firm Pied Piper Management Company.
. . .Ms. Ibarra, behind the wheel of the red Bolt, is what its proponents call “mobility justice” in action: an effort to address the reality that low-income communities most affected by pollution from diesel trucks, highways and other sources have had the least access to zero-emission vehicles. Enter the Green Raiteros. Born of a lack of public transit, a concern for the environment and stubborn resolve, the program was masterminded by the Latino Equity Advocacy & Policy Institute, a nonprofit founded by Rey León, Huron’s mayor. Similar efforts are underway elsewhere in California, New York and other areas, along with a growing push in Washington, D.C., to subsidize E.V. programs. Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the federal government is providing $700 million in grants to local governments to set up charging infrastructure in underserved areas. The goal of all these initiatives is to give more people in low-income communities access to cleaner forms of transportation
Good news for road-trippers: Gas prices appear likely to be lower this summer driving season after last year’s oil spike caused widespread pain at the pump. A gallon of regular averaged about $3.58 on Friday, according to AAA, down from a record high of $5 a year ago when the war in Ukraine sent energy markets into a tailspin and fanned the flames of inflation globally. Recession fears, a stalling economic restart in China, and an uninterrupted flow of Russian crude into markets have pressured global oil prices to around $75 a barrel, down from more than $120 last summer. That flagging oil demand, in combination with consumers’ timid return to the pumps since the pandemic, has contained gasoline prices just as many Americans are getting ready to hit the road.
There could be major potholes ahead for the state’s source of money to fix roads and bridges and support public transportation projects. New Jersey’s Transportation Trust Fund — which is funded through a gas tax, like many similar funds in states across the country — may start to feel the effects of missing out on revenue with more cars on the road that have better gas mileage or pay no gas tax because they are battery-powered. The owners of such cars are already paying less — or nothing — into the TTF. And some say gas taxes alone are not sufficient to keep the fund solvent in the long term, because it requires more money to pay off old debt and take on new debt for a growing list of projects. The Transportation Trust Fund's borrowing power expires in 2024. Despite this, the state Legislature and the governor have yet to address the looming issue. Meanwhile, other states have begun adopting new programs to shore up their road repair accounts, creating user-based fees and electric vehicle surcharges to generate more revenue and ensure that EVs are paying for their use of the roads.
Law enforcement departments say that thefts of catalytic converters have surged across New Jersey. South Brunswick police say that 30 thefts happened in just 10 days last month. Sen. Bob Menendez is calling the issue an epidemic and says that he has a new plan to crack down on the thefts. “We need to increase public awareness, update our laws where needed. We need to provide law enforcement agents the tools they need and share these practices from federal, state and local departments,” Menendez says. The Democrat has introduced legislation to form a federal task force to crack down on these crimes.
James Cobb, an EV driver who lives in Owasso, Oklahoma, told USA Today that infrastructure for EV charging “is just too sparse and unreliable.” “Honestly, [public charging] has got a long way to go. It's far from as reliable as it needs to be,” he said. Cobb told USA Today that smaller trips are easy due to his ability to charge at home. It’s the longer hauls that are difficult, including a recent trip he took to the University of Oklahoma, which was 150 miles away from his home. . . “Public charging is by far the least satisfying aspect of owning an electric vehicle,” said Brent Gruber, executive director of global automotive research for J.D. Power. There are numerous reasons why an EV charger can be rendered unavailable, including anything from broken screens, plugs and/or cords to payment system and network failures.
With the theft of catalytic converters reaching epidemic proportions, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., highlighted Zwillenberg and Nally’s experiences as reasons he’s introducing legislation to form a federal task force to identify ways to fight the thieves and scrap dealers who buy the converters for the precious metals inside them. Flanked by local, county and state law enforcement officials who endorsed the idea, Menendez announced the proposal in Wood-Ridge on Tuesday. . . The proposed task force would include the federal Department of Justice and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in addition to state and local law enforcement agency representatives. Its job would be to assess laws, regulations, law enforcement practices and resources and make recommendations to Congress, the U.S. Attorney General and transportation secretary on reforms to deter, prevent and prosecute converter theft.
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.
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