CEOs to BOYCOTT contributions to candidates who do not resolve the nation's business!

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/08/15/eveningnews/main20092715.shtml?tag=cbsnewsTwoColUpperPromoArea

August 15, 2011 6:50 PM

CEO calls for boycotting campaign contributions

By
Scott Pelley

Play CBS News Video or read.
(CBS News)

NEW YORK - The chairman of Starbucks is calling for a boycott on campaign donations to incumbents in Washington until President Obama and Congress find agreement on the deficit.

In an open letter Howard Schultz wrote "the government needs discipline, the people need jobs - and leaders need to lead. Our country is better than this."

Schultz grew Starbucks into with world's largest coffee house with 11,000 stores and 135,000 employees in America alone.

CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley spoke with him about this idea of boycotting campaign contributions.

Read Schultz's letter

Schultz: As a result of what we all witnessed with the debt ceiling crisis and the uncertainty in the markets, I just feel like watching what took place in Washington, the lens in which the leaders in Washington, D.C. were making decisions was not based on what was good for America, but in my view, it was based on their own partisan perspective. And that was, "How does this affect my re-election?" And when I started thinking about re-election, the lifeblood of the re-elections of every one of our congressional leaders in Washington is about fundraising.

And I want to cut that off until we see civility, until we have a long-term debt ceiling deal that we are proud of and and restores confidence in America. And I just feel very strongly that this is a time when we no longer should accept the status quo and the mediocrity that we're getting. We are better than this, and our leaders in Washington need to go back to work.

WATCH 60 Minutes: The Star of Starbucks

Pelley: You know, since this idea of yours first came out over the weekend, there's been some criticism of it. And part of that criticism essentially says, "This is a little like nuclear weapons. Just because you disarm, that doesn't mean your opponents will." Doesn't it leave an opening for others to wield their influence while you're taking your money to the sidelines?

Well, first off, I understand that, Scott. We want to suspend the donations to encourage the incumbents, including the president, to go back to work and to reach a deal. We have sent these people to Washington to represent America, not represent singular ideology.

Pelley:This is the first day of this. I wonder, have any other corporate CEOs pledged to join you?

Schultz: Yes, they have. And I think the most gratifying thing that has taken place. And that is that this morning I was notified that the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ, has embraced my initiative, and now is sending out that letter, my letter to every listed company CEO in America. And I think this is a major signal to me and to others that this is a significant idea that is gonna have traction. It's not some novelty that we're gonna walk away from, and we're gonna send a powerful signal.

 

Just give all your money to the Republican party.

 

Now that the man has spoken, maybe the politicians will mend their ways. They don't seem to give a fig for the people who voted for them, so maybe they'll listen now that money talks. Cha-ching.

 

I think there should be a cap on how much each candidate is allowed to spend on canvassing. And I also believe that there should be no way that a vested interest should be buying a politicians favours with their 'donations'. No donations from private individuals, corporations or any profit-motivated group.

 

Thankfully you're a foreigner with foreign interests and have no control over how politics are run in our country.

I think all businesses should boycott Democrats. They're the only ones talking about castrating the private sector. I also find it funny how Democrats often talk about "wanting more made in the USA products" yet their continuous regulations on businesses are the very thing that has been driving manufacturing jobs out of the US in the first place. Seriously (*)(*)(*)(*) Democrats, they're traitors and perpetual liars.

 

It would be amusing if it were true. Remember in September 2008 then President Bush tanked the economy with eight years of a policy of deregulation? It was the Republicans who pulled the Wall Street Bail Out that introduced America to SOCIALISM. Notice how the only ones that call President Obama a socialist are the right wing pundits who know their guy was responsible?

I can not recall Wall Street ever speaking out against "do nothing" politicians like this before, and they are laying blame right at the Republicans/*********s (same thing now), doorstep.

This is the Fortune 500 showing their pit bull teeth to right wing fanatics. Everyone knows the *********s messed up the debt ceiling talks, and caused the S&P rating to drop. Both political parties do business with big business, but it is obviously the Tea Party Republicans who are clearly the whores.

********* whores.​

 

I've been hearing that complaint for years, but I'm not closer to finding out just what exactly did President Bush deregulate? What industry was deregulated and what were the bills?

I do remember he regulated publicly traded companies with Sarbanes-Oxley, but I just can't recall him repealing that. Please refresh my memory.

 

While I agree that foreigners have no business commenting on the domestic issues of another country, I think RiseAgainst is living in his own world.

You must realize that America would not need more government regulation if we could trust American business to stand behind their products. My father actually remembers purchasing a Pontiac at a time when no added warranties needed to be purchased!! This was because American manufacturers would actually stand behind what they built instead of squeezing a couple thousand more out of the consumer for for an extended warranty we should not have to purchase at all.

In 2003 we bought a new Magic Chef (Maytag) washer and dryer. In 2010 the washer broke and two repair service people advised we we replace instead of repair. Both said that is how Maytag builds their products down in Mexico these days. All the machine needed was a new timer, which Magic Chef had designed to make replacement impossible.

America needs more government regulation of products because big business in it's greed designs products with planned obsolescence built in. Unions don't trust "corpies" why should we?