Starbucks CEO Says Private Sector Must Lead Economic Recovery

[SpankMe]

Source: NBCNews.com

Starbucks chairman and CEO Howard Schultz on Sunday called on business leaders in the private sector to take the lead in the nation’s economic recovery, telling NBC's Chuck Todd "problems exist throughout the country, not only rural America."

The problem, according to Schultz, is that our political leaders aren't working with a commitment to honor, country and duty.

Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press, Schultz said Washington dysfunction is a factor in the slow and uneven economic recovery.

Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/starbucks-ceo-says-private-sector-must-lead-economic-recovery-n244611

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Schultz is known to be a bit on the progressive side. Yet he still frames Washington's dysfunction in generic terms, as if BOTH parties are equally guilty of not "...working with a commitment to honor, country and duty".

No one except for tough Democrats dare to publicly state that the dysfunction is solely at the feet of the Republicans. Look at their record, policies and behaviors (i.e., obstructionism, low work output) of the last 6 years. If they did speak the truth, the conservative media and movement would come down on them and end their shit like they did with Acorn.

But, as long as no one dare speaks the truth, things will get worse. It's like the denial of true AIDS causes in Africa due to cultural taboos. It's actually making the AIDS crisis worse there.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. Nice of him to wait until after Repubs get control of Congress to say this.

Maybe he could have said it from the very beginning of the recession?

[SoapBox]

8. ROFL

Exactly what I thought.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. I went to Starbucks once

That was enough for me.

[bhikkhu]

12. It is one of the better companies to work for

I have a sister who's worked there for some time. She has a living wage, good working conditions, time off when she's needed it, a retirement package, and health care - all as per company-wide progressive policies. I don't drink coffee myself, but I feel fine every time I see a line at the Starbucks. Its a big successful company, and they are one of the good guys.

[Omaha Steve]

25. Not all their workers feel that way

http://www.starbucksunion.org/

[Warpy]

20. I've never been to one, I hate coffee

but people at work used to stop for a huge cup of the stuff, some of them calling it "jet fuel" and musing that Starbucks must put extra caffeine into it.

[itsrobert]

3. I know people were and still are hurting

But I don't know how starbucks survives selling 50 cent coffee for $5.00. PT Barnum was right.

[Warpy]

21. You want a good coffee, go to Dunkie's

Starbucks is for people who want the fancy, pretentious stuff that has so much high calorie crap in it they can barely taste the coffee.

[itsrobert]

22. Better to make my own

n/t

[AtheistCrusader]

29. You just said you've never been to Starbucks, so how the hell would you know if Dunkin Donuts is

better or not?

[Warpy]

30. I don't live wrapped in cotton batting, dear.

All my friends are coffee hounds. They go to Dunkies for the best cup of plain coffee out there. They go to Starbuck's for a coffee flavored confection.

[AtheistCrusader]

31. Except of course, one is not forced to order the pumpkin spice sugar bomb.

Plenty of stuff that is just coffee.

[Iliyah]

4. Bad move

Corporations are People too. Hell No!

[hatrack]

5. Well, good luck with that, Howard . . ..

Let us know what kind of response you get, m'kay?

[groundloop]

6. HOW will the private sector save the economy.... more profits or higher wages for employees?

If Schultz thinks that Starbucks is going to save the economy by making more and more profits for the One Percenters, he's badly mistaken. He could certainly lead the way by giving his employees more discretionary income, better healthcare, maybe help with the cost of education, and many other progressive ideas.

[AtheistCrusader]

28. Under Schultz's leadership, Starbucks does all of those things you just suggested.

Way to do any research at all before attacking him, and the company.

Starbucks stands alone in offering part-time workers health care, regardless the cost.
http://money.cnn.com/2013/08/27/news/companies/starbucks-obamacare-schultz/index.html

"It may end up costing us more... but I don't think that is the primary issue," Schultz said. "Starbucks does not want to leave people behind."

Put in at least 20 hours a week? Access to Arizona University.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/16/us/starbucks-to-provide-free-college-education-to-thousands-of-workers.html?_r=0

And cranking up pay for all employees, bottom up.
http://www.news10.net/story/news/2014/10/20/starbucks-to-increase-pay-for-employees/17599417/


Really disappointing to see people smearing shit on one of the few companies out there literally trying to do very progressive, very decent things.

[Cryptoad]

7. Trickle Down economics ,,,,,,,,

yep its been a winner for almost 40 years now! lmao

[Brickbat]

9. Any time, guys!

Seems to me they shouldn't have to be told, though.

[whereisjustice]

10. in a show of support, CEOs of MSFT, Google, GE, Apple announced they are stopping

the practice of sending millions of US jobs to low skill, low wage, unregulated labor markets in Asia, effective immediately.

[BadGimp]

33. lmao

[ballyhoo]

11. Isn't Shultz the guy that wanted everyone to take a voluntary cut

of 22 per cent in Social Security, even saying please do it? I don't go to Starbucks and don't give two birds eggs what Scultz thinks about anything. He is as close to progressive as George Bush is to Peter Pan.

[Fred Sanders]

13. Since there is nothing the little people can do to stop the Oligarths, they will assume governmental

control for the benefit of the little people, with the people's consent....no force necessary?

Fuck off.

[americannightmare]

14. Schultz takes home $149 million last year...

while the average barista makes $9/hr. Starbucks is NOT one of the good guys.

[Hugin]

15. Isn't he the guy who has it in for Social Security?

IIRC.

Oh, yeah... Here it is fresh from 2012.

"Starbucks Is Inappropriately Pressuring Its D.C. Employees To Lobby For A Fiscal Deal"

http://boldprogressives.org/2012/12/starbucks-is-inappropriately-enlisting-its-d-c-employees-in-fiscal-lobbying/

"“Rather than be bystanders, you and your customers have an opportunity — and I believe we all have a responsibility — to send our elected officials a respectful but potent message, urging them to come together to find common ground,” Schultz wrote in his letter to the stores. He also apparently cited Fix The Debt, the powerful corporate front group that has been pushing for an agreement to cut Social Security benefits and lower corporate tax rates for months."

[DallasNE]

16. Translation Of What Schultz Said: Blah, Blah, Blah

Obviously the private sector must lead the economic recovery. And they have done that as the stock market is currently at an all time high. 12 million jobs have been added since the spring of 2009 so the private sector has lead the economic recovery so what is Schultz really saying.

The problem is how the recovery has been structured. And that is a problem that goes back 40 years. That has been how long it has been since profits from productivity gains have been shared with the workers. The selfishness of the owner class where they hog all of the gains is the discussion Schultz should have been having. As it is, all Schultz said was blah, blah, blah mixed in with wishful thinking about dysfunction going away in Washington DC. At least Howard Dean was spot on when he spoke about addressing lunch bucket issues.

[YOHABLO]

17. Yeah, no false equivalency Mr.Shultz blame the f..ing Republicans because they are the

PROBLEM ... THEY OBSTRUCT ANY LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ACTUALLY HELP WORKING PEOPLE, AND THOSE LESS ADVANTAGE IN THIS COUNTRY .. THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS ALL ABOUT PROFIT. OH AND BY THE WAY EVERYTHING IN YOUR F..ING STORES IS TOO DAMN EXPENSIVE. $3.00 FOR A TINY LITTLE BROWNIE?

[Orsino]

18. Starbucks CEO: "There are still a few things I don't own yet." n/t

[jtuck004]

19. "our political leaders aren't working with a commitment to honor, country and duty. " Well, you got

one thing right.

[Odin2005]

23. Go eat shit, Capitalist dickhead.

The "private sector" never leads on anything.

[Ash_F]

24. Starbucks stole from its workers

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/starbucks-workers-tips-massachusetts-suit_n_2121931.html

[lunasun]

26. This jerk opening his pie hole again? Stuff it full of beans dude don't wanna hear it

[Paulie]

27. If there isn't money in the hands of spenders

The private sector can't and won't do shit. We need huge government spending on infrastructure to put money in the pockets of consumers. Then the private sector can take all the credit.

[Javaman]

32. just another example of how our nation has been taken over by corporate colonization. nt