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Technology Stocks : Applied Materials No-Politics Thread (AMAT) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: NAG1 who wrote (6140)	5/21/2003 12:18:22 PM
From: Kirk ©	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 25522

Subject: My Letter to IR . TO: Investor_Relations@appliedmaterials.com To AMAT's Compensation Committee YOU SENT THE WRONG MESSAGE TO SHAREHOLDERS by granting Mr. Splinter an option for 300,000 shares at a penny a each! Bonuses should be incentives for accomplishments that improve the balance sheet of the company. The board should have granted Mr. Splinter CASH from the treasury and then had him use the cash to buy shares at the current price. Then Mr. Splinter would be motivated to improve the share price for us shareholders. If taxes were an issue, then pay the taxes for Mr. Splinter out of the treasury! This is intolerable! The compensation committee should be embarrassed for awarding the shares and Mr. Splinter should be ashamed for accepting them, especially at a time when AMAT is lobbying to not expense options so "the little guy" won't suffer. This is an insult to every "little guy" from shareholders who have held on, believing in the company, to employees who fear for their jobs. I've owned AMAT since July of 1996 and I recommend it in my investment newsletter. If the board of directors at this great company can not see how their symbolic actions will anger both employees and shareholders alike, then I must reevaluate my belief in AMAT as a core, long term holding. -- best regards Kirk Lindstrom Los Altos, CA Editor: "Investing & Personal Finance" @ Suite101.com suite101.com Letter also published here suite101.com