Overview
- Howard Schultz published a Wall Street Journal op-ed that labels Mayor Katie Wilson’s approach anti-business and urges job-first, accountable spending policies.
- Starbucks is laying off 61 employees in its Seattle technology group as part of a headquarters reorganization, according to local reporting.
- The company has announced new corporate offices in Nashville and plans to shift hundreds of corporate roles to Tennessee.
- Schultz links business retrenchment to Washington’s recent tax measures and safety concerns, citing a new 9.9% tax on income above $1 million, capital-gains and payroll levies, and FBI crime data.
- Seattle officials and business leaders now trade blame over whether policy or corporate strategy is driving exits, with Schultz’s recent move to Florida adding fuel to the debate.