tish🇺🇸🦕

NEW EXCLUSIVE: Bob Ferguson tried and failed to convince Starbucks that higher taxes were a good thing These meeting prep notes reveal that Gov Bob Ferguson set up a meeting with Starbucks AFTER the coffee giant announced it was expanding to Nashville. The meeting was a month after the announcement and over a year after the company said Ferguson's taxes would jeopardize the business climate in the state The goal of the meeting was "to make a case for ‘why Washington’, and to gather information to inform your future strategy navigating the firm’s continued corporate and retail presence." Additionally, on Feb 5, "During the Challenge Seattle dinner, Mr. Niccol (Chairman and Chief Executive of Starbucks) brought up public safety concerns near the Starbucks headquarters as a top concern." Starbucks HQ is in SODO, an area plagued by homeless/drug addict crime. Ferguson's office even considered bringing in the WA State Patrol to help, even though it was a King County and Seattle issue. According to the meeting prep, "Mr. Niccol may raise concerns about the overall business environment in Washington, including the impacts of the 2025 revenue package and the millionaire’s tax. In particular, he may raise concerns about sales tax on additional services (e.g. advertising) and the .5% B&O tax surcharge on income over $250 million impacting the company. For the millionaire’s tax, his concerns are more likely to be directed at retaining executive talent in the state." As a response, Ferguson was given these talking points: "Similar to your work bringing Starbucks “back to basics”, my focus is getting Washington back to delivering excellent core public services like schools, roads, and bridges, promoting good governance, and emphasizing what continues to make Washington a unique magnet for attracting elite talent and innovation – an excellent quality of life in a welcoming and beautiful place." It was too late. By this time, Starbucks had already laid off 1,300 Washingtonian workers and closed thirty-one Washington locations, including the Seattle Reserve Roastery on Capitol Hill. The notes referenced 5 additional store closures and another 69 employees being laid off, and Headquarters employment dropping over 25% since 2023. The company had already announced the 250,000-square-foot expansion in Nashville the month before and the hiring of 2,000 workers in Tennessee. Even Ferguson's office didn't believe Starbucks' claim that Seattle would remain the "global support headquarters,” acknowledging "public questions about whether the company is gradually shifting its center of gravity."