Kick Starbucks OUT of Pioneer Courthouse Square

that idea, while well intended, should go over like a lead brick. America and portland, is conditioned to love starbucks. Shutting 'bucks out of psquare would be an extremely unwise thumb of the nose to big business across the nation. Do I like the idea? yes. Does the Portland Business Alliance, the godfathers of portland downtown biz like it? one guess. I'd be happy if people could just keep the pba's stupid pet project proposed ice rink out of the square. I believe that is still hoped for by many pulling the strings downtown.

Starbucks Coffee Company:
* First American company to offer employee stock options.
* One of very few corporations to offer full medical benefits to full time AND half time (20 hours/week +) employees
* Pays a lot more than minimum wage
* Offers more job positions than any other foodservice companies in America.
* One of very few corporations that can afford creating new jobs every other day.
* Pays all local payroll taxes and property taxes (through landlords who lease prime retail spots at high rents), benefiting TriMet, Metro, Portland Public Schools, Multnomah County Library and more.

Conclusion: Starbucks is good for labor, good for workers, good for the community.

Your local, "independent" hippie coffeeshop:
* No stock options. Owner(s)/employer(s) own all, as they are mostly LLC, Limited Partnership or Sole Proprietorship.
* No insurance, no medical or dental benefits.
* Doesn't hire any more than a few people once in a while.
* Cannot afford hiring more. No new jobs.
* Write off many business expenses and net losses; eligible to receive government money (your tax dollars) through SBA, PDC, etc.
* Dead-end minimum wage jobs totally dependent on the whims of the owner(s).

Conclusion: Patronize Starbucks. Quit the nonsensical anti-corporation prejudice and hatred. Need say more?

It's important to see the positives of having starbucks in our city. While I think the fight to keep new stores from drowning out local buisness, the stores already in place ought to stay there. As the above comment states, starbucks takes care of it's employees and whether out of nessessity or opportunity, at one point or another, people need jobs. I say fight starbucks from growing into smaller, local buisness neighborhoods but appreciate what good they've done for the economy and people who need the jobs.

"Need say more?"

Only if you want people to take you seriously.

"stores already in place ought to stay there"

Even if they can be replaced by something better for the economy?

"good they've done for the economy"

This is why it's important to read:

"A recent study by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance showed that chain stores such as Starbucks leave only 14% of all profits in the local economy. Those finding are in step with those of a study conducted by Civic Economics and published by Livable City in Austin which showed when you spend money at a locally owned business you generate three times as much local economic activity then money spend at a chain store."

What we need is investment in the community to build businesses that do not take their revenue out of state. Portland is the perfect place to show how this can work. All the corporations that have come in over the past decade have not left Portland with an economy to be proud of. It's time to try something new based on current research and understandings.

STARBUX SUX. so don't even think about driving your hummer through my town. and stop buying so much crap. wait, let me guess, you're doing what starbux is doing for the economy...ohhhh, *cute* -you're helping it grow into a more beautiful entity. amerika thanx you, you generous con$umer, you. get a grip.

To correct to incorrect information that was posted by Dr. Qorq:

1) The Starbucks in Pioneer Courthouse square DOES NOT pay any property taxes. This is because the Sqaure is a public park and is not on the tax rolls So this Starbucks does not benefit TriMet, Metro, Portland Public Schools, Multnomah County Library through property taxes.

Taxes (2003)
Property Taxes $0.00
Total Taxes $0.00

Reference:
 http://portlandmaps.com/detail.cfm?x=7643580.064&y=682802.807

2)

Property taxes are paid by the owner of the property and not the lease holder in Oregon. A portion of the rent may "technically" be considered as "paying" the building owner's property taxes, but that's a stretch in my opinion.

3) A locally owned business in the same retail space would benefit TriMet, Metro, Portland Public Schools, Multnomah County Library and more importantly the local ecomomy. It would serve as a bright example of Portland's commitment to locally owned businesses to all the tourists who visit the Square every year. Currently tourist see a Starbuck's..."oh wow look a Starbuck's it's just like the 200-300 Starbucks we have back home in [Fill in any city, state or counrty here]".

The issue here is we all need to raise our expectations of what we have the power to accomplish. We could kick Starbucks out of pioneer courthouse square (and I think that would be cool), stop an ice rink, stop the city from covering the reservoirs, we could even pass progressive city wide legislation on chainstores, or get the city to fund a locally owned business education campaign if we applied ourselves.

P.S Get your ballots turned in! Vote by 8:00pm Tuesday!

In 1997 I was at that Starbucks and staring at the menu on the farthest wall cus I have poor eyesight and cannot see really well, and they don't have braille or picture menu for those who cannot read letters posted 15 feet away. And one of the employee baristas yelled at me telling me to leave the store, so I showed him my $5 bill and he immediately shut up. I complained with the Starbucks corporate HQ in Seattle, demanded that this employee be immediately fired and an official apology from the CEO and regional supervisor. I have not yet seen any of these demands being met.

dude, not only are you blind but stupid..

it doesnt matter if that employee was working at a mom and pop coffee shop, they would have been the same asshole. too funny that your hatred stems all the way back to 1997.. ya blind Dorq

Good luck guys, i'll be with you all the way. In addition to the square's starbucks, there are about 5 other starbucks within only a few blocks of the square, including TWO at pioneer place. Pioneer square was like downtown portland's safe place, surrounded by but ultimately free from huge multinational corporations. Standing in the square is gross these days, with starbucks, nordstrom and an array of cops framing the huge american flag. It's disgusting. Let's take the square back!

Is anyone else suprised that the square's starbucks still stands? Pioneer square is generally the meeting place for all huge downtown rallies, which fill with radicals and anarchists who hate huge corporations like starbucks. Maybe the building's dark glass windows are super enforced, or maybe those cops who spend all their time in starbucks will act as body guards to their precious unoriginal coffee house.