From: David.L.Asher@aphis.usda.gov
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 9:02 AM
To: rule-comments@sec.gov
Subject: Petition for Rulemaking (SEC File No. 4-461)

                                                                            
 I fully support the efforts of the Committee of Concerned Shareholders and 
 James  McRitchie  with  respect to their Petition for Rulemaking (SEC File 
 No.  4-461).   It  is  time  that  democracy  should come to the corporate 
 ballot.   Shareholders  (the  true  owners of corporate America) should be 
 entitled  to  a  fair and impartial opportunity to elect truly independent 
 Directors.   Further,  recent  corporate  events  have  demonstrated  that 
 individual  Shareholders  need  an  effective  means  by which undesirable 
 Directors  can  be  held accountable, e.g., removed from office via use of 
 the  simplified  Shareholder  Proposal procedure.  Individual Shareholders 
 should  be  able  to act as their own watchdogs when it comes to improving 
 corporate governance.                                                      
                                                                            
















Dave Asher