A CEO shares an idea

Everyone has experienced it. Suddenly an idea, a song, a new product or a statement is a surprise for its simplicity. Once shared it is almost self evident.

“Why didn’t I think of that?” is the common response.

Well, Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, has recently come up with such an idea, and it has nothing to do with coffee beans.

He recently sent out letters to the CEOs of 3,000 public ally traded companies to introduce his idea.

It is just this: Americans of all political persuasions should withhold their political contributions until our leaders objectively face the country’s deficit problem.

Contributions should be withheld, he says, until our elected leaders “deliver a fiscally disciplined long-term debt and deficit plan.”

Enough time, energy and emotion has been spent on pirating the financial problems of the country for political gain.

It is time, he says, that Congress, the President and other national leaders face up to the fact that the deficit problem has to be addressed for the good of the country and not just for the good of personal politics. Schultz says the political wrangling has caused a crisis of confidence with the politicians stirring up fears about our economic prospects “without doing anything to truly address those fears.”

Schulz does not say that political donations should be withheld forever, but just until common sense and the good of the country is given the attention they deserve.

He came to the idea when he decided what the motivation was for all the bickering and posturing. It seemed clear to him that all the problems are the result of politicians being more concerned about their own re-election than about the country.

Thus, he concluded that withholding money from them would motivate them to get back to serious work.

In support, the New York Stock Exchange forwarded his letter to thousands of financial decision makers and business leaders.

Simple? Yes. Effective? Only time will tell.

But, at the very least, it is an idea that should be considered. Maybe just the threat will cause some leaders to pause and consider the country over themselves.

If politicians continue on as they have been and the American public withholds its political financing, campaigning could be reduced to sticking handwritten notes under the wiper blades of parked cars.

That thought alone could be sobering enough for even the most diehard ideologue to start paying attention to what is best for the country.

Gordon Forgey