From: Ron & Shirley Schick [ronandshirley@comcast.net]
Sent: Saturday, December 20, 2003 6:49 PM
To: rule-comments@sec.gov
Subject: Stock oweners voting rights

Dear commission Secretary: 
  
Not being a lawyer or CPA, I'm not sure if this is the proper place to be 
corresponding. I believe in regards to all rules that address a stock owner's 
right to vote, that those voting rights are in effect circumvented when the 
stock is not owned directly, i.e.. it is held in a 401-k, IRA, mutual fund, 
etc. Fund managers should be polling  the stock owners annually on the same 
form used to vote for directors of the fund. That poll at the least should 
include a system to let the share owner give a general criteria as to what 
they consider appropriate corporate compensation for officers and directors. 
It could also include other issues which often show up on corporate proxy's 
such as your general feeling toward human rights and environment. What I've 
witnessed in my 25 years of fund ownership is that fund shares are just voted 
the way that the corporation recommends. Fund shares should be voted in such 
a manner as to represent the feelings of the true owners, i.e.. the individual 
shareowners. 
 
Thank You,  
Ronald C. Schick