Coffee City
Melissa Allison follows the world's biggest coffee-shop chain and other Seattle caffeine purveyors.
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Talton: Starbucks will have trouble staying out of gun debate
Posted by Melissa Allison
Jon Talton's column yesterday highlighted how difficult it's becoming for big companies like Starbucks to stay out of politics. Of course, they're already in DC to some extent -- Starbucks spent $740,000 on lobbying last year, according to OpenSecrets.org -- but they typically try to side-step controversial issues like the gun debate.
Talton doubts they can will be able to remain neutral.
"Across the spectrum, institutions have lost credibility. Activism is on the rise and partisans demand that sides be chosen," he wrote.
Continuing economic pain will force their hand, he argued. "[I]f unemployment and foreclosures remain high while living standards continue to erode, more people will be looking for someone to blame. And all the clever legalisms and inoffensive marketing may not save companies from being pulled into the domestic political battle."
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