Date:    12/22/1999  11:20 PM


Subject: File No. S7-24-99 
December 22, 1999
     
Dear Mr. Katz,
     
I and many fellow individual investors are very thankful to the SEC and the 
OTC:BB exchange, for the recent changes implemented to the OTC:BB exchange that 
requires all companies to be fully reporting, and filing their financial reports
on a regular and timely basis, in order to either be listed on the exchange or 
to remain on the OTC:BB exchange.  It most certainly is a step in the right 
direction.  It will in my opinion, eliminate a lot of the fraud on the company 
side of the house.  Investors now, can at the very least, have the opportunity, 
to make an informed decision regarding the companies financial status before 
they purchase a given stock on the OTC:BB exchange, since they will now be able 
to view the companies financial reports.  It is one more check and balance in 
favor of the Investor.
     
Now however, it is high time to take care of the other side of the house.  It 
was with great pleasure I read about the recent proposed extenuation of the 
Shorting Rules to the OTC:BB exchange stocks.
     
This in my opinion, can't be implemented fast enough.  The faster the 
shorting rules applied to the OTC:BB exchange stocks are implemented, the better
it will be for average Joe or Jane Investor and in my opinion, this will also 
benefit
honest companies on the OTC:BB exchange as well.  
     
I very strongly urge the SEC to extend regulation of market maker shorting 
activities to the OTC:BB, so that stocks there will trade correctly, fairly, and
will not have their market makers working against the shareholder.
     
As a member of the Individual Investing public, I want to have the shorting 
Rules that 
currently cover the Main Exchanges (the NASDAQ, NYSE, and the AMEX), 
Extended to the stocks and companies that trade on the OTCBB. 
I am also very anxious that the Uptick rule is 
KEPT IN PLACE for our protection so as to avoid 'bear raids' and 'pile on' 
attacks by the shorts that would most assuredly occur, if this current 
protection 
is removed! 
     
Thank you for your attention.
     
Rachel Cooke