From: Chris Quentin [quentinc@csd.com]
Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2004 9:44 PM
To: rule-comments@sec.gov
Subject: S7-19-03

My comments are short and sweet. I support the rule change to 
17 CFR PARTS 240, 249 and 274

[RELEASE NOS. 34-48626; IC-26206; FILE NO. S7-19-03]

RIN 3235-AI93

SECURITY HOLDER DIRECTOR NOMINATIONS

that will allow shareholder's nominees to be placed on company-produced proxy
ballots. Requiring shareholders to mail out their own ballots is not a fair and
equitable way to manage an election for the board of directors. In no other
situation are there separate ballots for each candidate. For large corporations,
obtaining the list of shareholders, printing separate ballots, and mailing the
ballots requires a substantial expenditure of time and money that is beyond the
abilities of most investors other than large institutional investors. Separate
shareholder ballots is an unecessary duplication of the company ballots, whose
only current purpose often appears to be the perpetuation of existing boards and
their associates. Given the recent spate of corporate scandals (TYCO, Enron,
Worldcom, Global Crossing to name a few) in which boards failed to perform their
duties, it is clear that the boards are currently accountable to no one except
the SEC. Given the insufficient staffing of the SEC,  it often takes years to
develop cases and hold self-serving board members accountable, during which time
they devastate both their companies and the public's confidence in our countries
financial system. They need to be accountable to the owners of the companies.

Chris Quentin
Fremont, CA