Here is Steve Hindi letter regarding his meeting with Starbuck's.  First, this should be viewed as a major loss for our industry.  Second, it just reminds us that their PR machine is something we should not take lightly.  Sadly, the world is full of well meaning people who are easily swayed.  These same people enjoy a terrific way of life that was earned for them by the hard work of the American Cowboy and the American Farmer.  Too bad these same people could not have been to the NFPB Federation Finals on April 1st when a bunch of cowboys and cowgirls with the help of some outstanding corporate sponsors treated close to 250 special individuals to a day at the VIP rodeo that they will never forget!  If you want to donate money to a worthy cause the work the cowboys do with these people is a lot more worthy!

Please read just too keep yourself informed as to the misinformation they are distributing.

Starbucks Campaign Success

Starbucks Wimps Out of Rodeo Controversy
Tries to Ease Rejection Tears of Welfare Cowboys
March 29, 2006

A message from SHARK: http://www.sharkonline.org/

While endlessly touting its principles, ethics, and social responsibility,
Starbucks Coffee hasn't shown it over the last six months. Those who have
been involved in the campaign to stop Starbucks' rodeo sponsorships have
seen a winding, twisting strategy from the company as it tried every
possible way to confuse its customers and deny its rodeo involvement. We
persisted, however, and now there is positive news to report.

In a meeting with Starbucks' Executive Liaison, Matthew Murray, SHARK
president Steve Hindi was assured that the company will no longer give
rodeos money, either as a sponsor or advertiser or any other manner. This is
a very good development. Less impressive is Starbucks’ decision to continue
allowing some stores to donate products to local rodeos.

As a further concession, Starbucks promised that it will not allow the rodeo
mafia to use Starbucks donations as a vehicle to claim the company as a
sponsor. This means that rodeos will not reap undeserved legitimacy from the
Starbucks’ name or logo.



If Starbucks wants to foster community goodwill it might support local
organizations such as youth clubs, churches, homeless, women’s and animal
shelters, etc. Instead Starbucks chooses to give corporate welfare to a
cruel and tasteless group of freeloaders who already receive so much money
from governments and corporations that they should be forever known as
“Welfare Cowboys.”

We are willing to give Starbucks credit where it is deserved. We appreciate
that the company has withdrawn money and the use of its name in association
with rodeos. However, donating to animal abusers is just repugnant.

Some activists have suggested that Starbucks doesn’t want it to look like a
pushover and this may well be true. No company wants to appear weak and thus
attract more attacks from other groups or causes. But Starbucks had an
opportunity to terminate its affiliation with rodeos and it declined. The
company's decision to stop sponsoring rodeos was not based on concern for
animal suffering, but instead out of concern for the damage it was suffering
to its reputation.

An additional component to Starbucks’ refusal to stand up to rodeos is the
fact that there are rodeo supporters within the company. It is my personal
belief that some of those rodeo thugs may be in decisionmaking capacities in
the company. So much for ethics or social responsibility at Starbucks! Rodeo
people don’t know the meaning of ethics or responsibility.

So where do we go from here? First, the “www.BuckStarbucks.com” website will
remain up until such time as Starbucks completely rejects rodeos. Second,
the Tiger Truck will soon return home for needed work after a long and
grueling road trip.

Our finances have been depleted by the Starbucks campaign and the months of
the Tiger prowling from Starbucks Chicago to their headquarters in Seattle,
so it is time to regroup and fund raise for the next campaign. (That's a
hint folks, we really need your donations to move forward.)

Meanwhile, I believe that activists should continue to avoid Starbucks like
the plague, along with other corporate animal abusers such as
DaimlerChrysler (maker of Dodge and Mercedes Benz autos), Coca- Cola (which
also sponsors the Iditarod Dog Race and other abuses) and Campbell Soup
(owner of Pace Foods). All of these companies are major rodeo sponsors, and
all have refused to do the right thing. Any company that maintains a
relationship with animal abusers deserves nothing but our scorn.

I want to thank all of you who have called and written Starbucks in the past
months. I especially want to thank those of you who took to the streets,
both when the Tiger Truck was coming through your town, and even more when
the Tiger wasn’t around. That kind of dedication to exposing the truth
nationwide and beyond really grabs even multinational corporations’
attention.

Seattle activist and Starbucks’ shareholder Barbara Birbaum’s cordial but
firm presentation before the entire Starbucks’ board at the annual
shareholders’ meeting in February likely cut many months off the campaign.
Such dedication demonstrates that while multinational corporations may have
size and fortune, we have the backbone and guts, and we stand for something
they will never have or even understand – compassion and justice.

Thanks to Alicia Silverstone and Ted Dansen for calling Starbucks, and the
verbal support extended by Pam Anderson via television producer Dennis
Erdman.

Thanks to In Defense of Animals (IDA) for its support during this campaign.
IDA’s Kristie Phelps was very helpful in sending out press releases as the
Tiger went from city to city. IDA also produced some terrific protest signs
that can be used in local demos or posting in areas to inform the public of
Starbucks’ continued involvement with rodeos. I also want to thank PETA
(especially Jackie Vergerio and Bob Chorush), as well as activists from the
grassroots groups around the U.S. who took part.

There is part of me that wants to continue the Starbucks campaign, to force
the company to do the right thing and leave rodeos altogether. But our
mission was to cut the money supply, and we have accomplished that. There
are other targets that are giving money to the Rodeo Mafia, and its time for
some of them to face the music. I believe if this movement continues to
focus on rodeo animal abuse, that Starbucks and other companies will quietly
but effectively terminate what remains of their relationships with rodeos
and other forms of abusive animal entertainment.

Within a couple of weeks we will disclose the next lucky winner or winners
of our attention. At this time we are eyeing a short list of three top
candidates. One is an old corporate animal nemesis that we can all sink our
teeth into. One is a pop princess whose career may be turned on a dime when
her fans discover what she is involved in. The last one is my favorite
because it is an enormous killing machine that desperately needs to discover
the concept of compassion.

Kindest Regards,
Steve Hindi and your SHARK Team