Sent: Friday, August 09, 2002 5:52 PM
Subject: Petition for Democracy in Corporate Elections

Dear Mr. Katz,

I am writing to express my support for the Petition for Democracy
in Corporate Elections.  As a financial advisor and concerned
American, I am outraged by the lack of integrity and self-dealing
of corporate leaders who have put their own interests before
those of the shareholders.  Regretfully, recent scandals at
Enron, WorldCom and others are just symptoms of a much larger
disease within corporate America.  The disease which has for
sometime ate at the health of the American economy is the lack of
accountability by management and the board of directors to
shareholders.  This lack of accountability manifests itself in
the form of deceptive accounting, excessive executive loans and
compensation, executive conflicts of interest, reduced corporate
earnings, and general mismanagement.

Perhaps the single most important way to address this lack of
accountability is to allow board of directors to be nominated and
elected by the shareholders.  Under the current system directors
are nominated and selected by corporate officers and management.
How can a director who is hand picked by management effectively
oversee management.  These hand-picked candidates are placed on
the company's ballot whereas other potential board candidates
must conduct an effective proxy contest that runs around $250,000
just to be put on the ballot.

What is the point of a shareholder vote if the shareholders only
get to vote for the candidates selected by management?  Please
act now and act decisively to support the repeal of Rule 14a-
8(i)8.  The strength of our nation ultimately depends upon the
strength of our economy.  This in turn is dependent upon the
integrity of the corporations that account for the vast majority
of economic activity in this country.  By allowing a truly
independent board of directors, you would provide shareholders
the ability to take back control of their companies and protect
against future abuses of power by fraudulent executives.

Thanks for your consideration,

Patrick T. Christensen, MBA, CPA, CFP
Independent Financial Solutions LLC
2505 East 3300 South, Suite 301
(801) 487-4536 (Phone)
(801) 487-6272 (Fax)
www.ifs-llc.net