From: RWKOVACS@aol.com [mailto:RWKOVACS@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2001 11:03 AM
To: marketreg@sec.gov
Subject: Short Sales


Dear Mr. Chairmen: 

I have read your proposal on short sales and since I am not a linquist nor a 
lawyer I cannot respond to it.  If you would rewrite it for a "reasonable 
man" than I believe more people would have the opportunity to be versed in 
the workings of the SEC. 

I would like the SEC to do two things in relation to short sales: 

1.  Determine the impact of short selling on the economic situation in the 
country, i.e. has the short selling undermined " the  wealth effect" thereby 
making the effects of the downturn worse that it would have been. 

2.  Give each investor the opportunity to have the ability not to have 
his/her shares lent for short selling.  As an investor I don't want someone 
else to "borrow" my shares to "cheat" me out of profits.  When an investor 
purchases stock from a broker they should have the opportunity to tell the 
broker that their shares are not to be borrowed. 

Frankly, I believe short selling should be outlawed.  Why should you be able 
to sell something you don't own. 

Thank you, 

Richard Kovacs 
1430 Houndsbay Court 
Kernersville, NC  27284