Chairman Christopher Cox
Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F Street, NE
Washington, DC 20549-1090
September 29, 2007
Dear Chairman Cox:
As an American stockholder, I have been frustrated with the lax
oversight of recent corporate boards of trustees and management
of many corporations that fill their own pockets and protect
their own interests rather than those of the stockholders they
are to serve. It is the shareholders who need the tools to
balance the power of wayward boards and management. Should the
avenue of oversight by shareholders be weakened further, the
financial system would be weakened to its own detriment.
I'm writing to request that you protect the right of investors
to file shareholder resolutions and urge you to take no action
on the proposed initiatives that would curtail or eliminate this
essential right.
Shareholder resolutions are an invaluable tool for investors who want to make their voices heard with regard to the direction of their companies. Shareholder resolutions have helped to promote transparency and improve corporate governance and performance. They have called attention to critical issues, including global warming, nuclear power, sweatshops, executive compensation, natural resource extraction, and other major societal and environmental problems that, when not addressed, often end up costing shareholders and their companies as a result of lawsuits, damaged reputations, consumer boycotts, public protests, and low staff morale.
The many corporate scandals of recent years highlight how important it is to have more, not less, corporate transparency and accountability. Shareholder resolutions have proven effective in holding companies accountable to their owners. I ask that the commission safeguard, not undermine, their use.
Thank you for your attention to my comments.
Sincerely,
Margo Vanderhill