From: F. Barron Stone [stone_fb@yahoo.com] Sent: Friday, June 13, 2003 10:30 AM To: rule-comments@sec.gov Subject: File No. S7-10-03 Please amend the SEC rules to increase shareholders’ ability to nominate and pick corporate directors. Shareholders proposals should be binding on corporations. Any other rule changes to give shareholder more control over corporations will be appreciated. I work for Duke Energy Corporation, and we have seen our stock go from a high of close to $48/share in April-May, 2001, to lows of $12/share in February-March, 2003, and presently around $19/share, and while the downturn in the economy might have had some impact, moreso, it had to do w/ the mismanagement and investing too much Capital in the Merchant Energy Business. It also appeared to me that we were not timely in communicating what appeared to be a downturn in the Merchant Energy Business, and Management's concerns about this, discussed in October, 2001, until September 20, 2002, and the approximate $8 Billion we have invested in Merchant Energy, and $12 Billion combined for Merchant Energy and Interational, w/ marginal/low/negative returns on these investments are the primary contributors to the strain on Duke Energy's Balance Sheet and Credit Ratings, and why investors have suffered greatly. http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/stocks/melissadavid/10069170.html ===== F. Barron Stone, CPA 3035 Wimbledon Lane Rock Hill, SC 29732 Cell: (864) 992-0293 Work: (704) 373-6573 Home: (803) 366-9730 __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Calendar - Free online calendar with sync to Outlook(TM). http://calendar.yahoo.com