Reuters reports that Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who during the last national election cycle urged his fellow CEOs to stop donating money to political campaigns until the nation's leaders got their act together and actually started leading, now is calling on "fellow business leaders to ratchet up the pressure on U.S. political leaders to end the stalemate that has partially shut down the federal government since last week.
""This weekend I heard from several business leaders who shared their concern about our relative silence and impact in urging the political leadership to act on behalf of the citizenry," Schultz wrote in a letter posted on the company's website. "It is our responsibility to address the crisis of confidence that is needlessly being set in motion."
Schultz says in the letter that he is "utterly disappointed by the level of irresponsibility and dysfunction we are witness to with our elected political leadership ... I don't pretend that both parties are equally to blame for this crisis. But I do think they are equally responsible for leading us to a solution."
""This weekend I heard from several business leaders who shared their concern about our relative silence and impact in urging the political leadership to act on behalf of the citizenry," Schultz wrote in a letter posted on the company's website. "It is our responsibility to address the crisis of confidence that is needlessly being set in motion."
Schultz says in the letter that he is "utterly disappointed by the level of irresponsibility and dysfunction we are witness to with our elected political leadership ... I don't pretend that both parties are equally to blame for this crisis. But I do think they are equally responsible for leading us to a solution."
- KC's View:
-
I'll say the same thing here that I've said when other CEOs have made statements that might be seen as controversial, whether about politics, religion, sex, or whatever.
When you wade into these waters, you'd better be prepared to get smacked upside the head by a wave.
You can say what you want, but prepared for consequences.
I suspect that Schultz knows exactly what he's saying, and who he is saying it to ... and figures that the vast majority of his target consumers will agree with his sensibilities, if not his political views. Or, they'll be too hooked on his lattes to care.
