In this Dec. 16 2010 photo, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is interviewed by The Associated Press at a Starbucks coffee shop in the Soho neighborhood of New York. Schultz will host a ìConversation with Americaî telephone town hall on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011. He is running ads in the New York Times and USA Today ahead of the event urging U.S. citizens to insist politicians end their hyper-partisan behavior.By SARAH SKIDMORE
AP Food Industry Writer
PORTLAND, Ore. – Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz changed how America drinks coffee. Now, he wants to change the political system.
The leader of the coffee giant says U.S. political leaders have created a “crisis of confidence” with their political wrangling that is wreaking havoc on the economy. He said he wants to give a voice to all citizens by hosting a national telephone forum on Tuesday.
He’s also running ads in the New York Times and USA Today ahead of the event, featuring an open letter that urges Americans to participate in the forum and insist politicians end their hyper-partisan behavior.