September 25, 2007
Chairman Christopher Cox
Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F Street, NE
Washington, DC 20549-1090
Dear Chairman Cox,
Proposed initiatives are poised to undermine or outright eliminate the right of investors to file shareholder resolutions.
I urge you to protect these rights.
Shareholders have a right to be heard by the companies who they trust to do the right thing. Shareholder resolutions have helped to promote transparency and improve corporate governance and performance. They have called attention to critical issues, including global warming, nuclear power, sweatshops, executive compensation, natural resource extraction, and other major societal and environmental problems that, when not addressed, often end up costing shareholders and their companies as a result of lawsuits, damaged reputations, consumer boycotts, public protests, and low staff morale.
The many corporate scandals of recent years highlight how important it is to have more, not less, corporate transparency and accountability. Shareholder resolutions have proven effective in holding companies accountable to their owners. I ask that the commission safeguard, not undermine, their use.
Thank you for your attention to my comments.
Sincerely,
Emlyn Addison