No dollars if there’s no sense

Since the beginning of the current rift slicing the nation by party, many have looked for some hint of sensibility in the otherwise moronic actions of Washington’s elite.

The driving force behind this series of failures to provide what the American people so desperately need (a viable fix to the nation’s economic situation) has been the unwillingness by politicians to bite the hand that feeds them.

Whether identified as a Republican or Democrat, that hand can be summed up in two words: corporate interests. The legislative branch is so busy keeping its pockets lined with corporate campaign finance checks that it has forgotten it actually needs to get something done.

Howard Schultz, the current C.E.O. of Starbucks, began to provide that glimmer of sense so many have been searching for. Schultz did this by circulating a letter asking business leaders to withhold all future campaign contributions until the deadlock in Washington has ended.

In a letter written to the American people Sept. 2, Schultz said, “We must restore hope in the American Dream. We must celebrate all that America stands for around the world.

And while our Founding Fathers recognized the constructive value of political debate, we must send the message to today’s elected officials in a civil, respectful voice they hear and understand, that the time to put citizenship ahead of partisanship is now.”

This is exactly the kind of thinking in which Americans should be engaged. I commend Schultz for providing an example to his fellow corporate executives. If corporations and citizens alike decided to withhold campaign contributions, it would send a shock through Washington that could not be ignored.

To put it simply, if campaign dollars dry up, lawmakers will start listening, and, more importantly, they will start acting. No, I’m not talking about the Ronald Reagan kind of acting.

More like the acting that gets Americans back to work and confidence back into the markets. Yes, that’s right — I’m talking about real and meaningful legislation that will help the nation get back on track to continued prosperity.

I realize this is not going to come easily. There are some serious ideological issues to be addressed in order to get back the so-called golden days when everyone “got along.” However, it is in the best interest of all to get Washington working together again.

Politicians rely on campaign donations more than anything. If citizens decide not to contribute to a broken system, the parties in that system will have no choice but to fix it. Schultz is a prime example of someone who is taking steps to bridge the gap of partisan politics. All by putting his money back into his own pocket.

­— ogwise@indiana.edu