From: afscmedoc@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2003 1:50 PM
To: rule-comments@sec.gov
Subject: Protect Workers' Pensions (SEC proposal S7-14-03)



Secretary Jonathan G. Katz
Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20549

Dear Secretary Katz,

I am a constituent, a physician, and a union organizer for the
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
(AFSCME), AFL-CIO.

I support the adoption of SEC proposal S7-19-03 to allow
shareholders to nominate candidates for election to corporate
boards. 

I know you know that a common dominator at companies exposed as
unaccountable to their shareholders (i.e. Enron, WorldCom, Tyco
among them)are companies that ultimately fail. When they fail,
shareholders get hurt. When they deceive and fail shareholders
get hurt unfairly.

One remedy, in my opinion, is that shareholders must be able to
nominate directors at the earliest possible annual meeting, when
the company is in crisis and shareholder value is immediately
threatened such as in the Enron and WorldCom scandals.

Some companies and their boards of directors have lost sight of
the fact that shareholders are the true owners of companies. The
proposed rule in support of real director elections will go a
long way in reinforcing this important principle.



Sincerely,

Dr. Dan Lawlor, M.D.
1024 Todd Farm Drive
Suite 101
Elgin, Illinois 60123