Jan. 7, 2020
Rule Comments, I am writing in opposition to the changes to submitting shareholder proposals at company annual meetings. I am a recently retired lighting designer who had to work to age 70 so I could afford to retire. My retirement money is invested in individual stocks and mutual funds. I also have a modest pension, and social security retirement income. I started seriously saving for my retirement in my 30's with an IRA based in mutual funds. I depend on my stock brokers advice for my individual share ownership. These rule changes negate my voice at the annual meetings of the companies I have invested in, because I own too few shares, and/or because I have not owned them long enough. It seems these rule changes make it harder to hold corporations accountable for their actions, from executive compensation, to environmental issues, fair labor standards, etc. It seems these rule changes tilt the deck even more away from the rights of individual shareholders and rig the system even more for the select few, like CEO's These are shameful proposals whose intent is all too clear. JOHN C. GATES [redacted]