Information superhighway euphemism discussion opportunity

The name of Starbucks Coffee's inner-city program, as described in the November 2005 issue of The Next American City, is a real larynx buster: "Urban Coffee Opportunities." This is not as direct as Ben & Jerry's "PartnerShop" program (which is different but has the same ostensible goals), and, well, it just sounds silly, being a product of the corporate-yuppie language breeding ground (compare: David Cronenberg's The Brood).

Maybe I'm just getting thrown off by the illusion of directness the word "coffee" provides in this name. At least the program name also names the product. That's why it seems so out of place in between "urban" and "opportunity," which together seem to say: "We've developed a special program for poor black/Hispanic city dwellers." It doesn't bother me that this is true; it is good to bring jobs to places where poor people need jobs and get charged out the ass for basic needs. Still, just like most of the syllables in "Urban Coffee Opportunities," the cheery PR front is unnecessary, and also condescending to the people the program is supposed to help. According to the TNAC article, a Starbucks that opened in Compton got more than 200 employment applications on opening day. A "Help Wanted" sign would have sufficed.