Why didn’t the Review endorse Jim Harvey for MWSD?

Jim Harvey knows water, that’s tremendously clear whenever you start to talk to him about water policy on the north coastside. That’s because he’s been at it a long time — he was one of the original driving forces to push for Montara and Moss Beach to form its own water agency and jettison Citizens Utilities and then Cal-Am.

Plus I just like him, he’s a gentleman, and pretty apolitical as far as I can tell, it seems like all he cares about is water — so after the Review’s non-endorsement, it’s nice to see the outpouring of support for him.

David Gorn

Comment 2 by Barry Parr  on  Oct 29  at  10:43am  •  All my comments • 

Here’s a copy of one letter that the Review didn’t publish this week.

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Gary Warhaftig Post Office Box 938 Montara, Ca. 94037 Tel: (650) 728-3806 e-mail:

October 20, 2005

Dear Editor,

Jim Harvey is running for a Board position on the Montara Water and Sanitary District and I would like to make some corrections to your editorial of October 12. You are incorrect in saying that he was appointed to his current seat. Over three years ago he was appointed to the Board to fill a vacancy. Then in November, 2003, he ran for office and was elected by the voters . The Community recognized the value of Jims contributions by giving him more than double the votes of his nearest competitor.

Labeling him as the “odd man out”, and then stating erroneously that he was appointed to his current seat on the Board, obscures the fact that he has been actively involved with water issues in Montara and Moss Beach for 20 years. Jim and I along with a handful of others co-founded the Montara Moss Beach Water Improvement Association in the 1980’s. The MMBWIA began the process that culminated in our gaining control of our own water system. Jim not only uses his knowledge of water to bear on issues but he has an understanding of the history of water in our community .

As long as Jim Harvey is willing to be available for another term of community service, I will enthusiastically vote for him.

Gary Warhaftig President Montara Moss Beach Water Improvement Association

This week’s Review published several letters having to do with the election. This seems to violate their long-standing policy to publish no campaign-related letters in the final issue before the election.

The rationale has been that allowing last-minute letters would allow no time for correction or rebuttal.

Two of the letters were in support of Jim Harvey, correcting the Review’s misrepresentation of Jim’s status as an elected official. The Review stated he was appointed, when, in fact, he was elected overwhelmingly shortly after the board appointed him to fill a vacancy.

One might argue that the Review violated its policy in publishing these letters. That’s debatable, since these letters were, in fact, rebutting the Review’s error.

The Review, however, had possession of these letters prior to the previous week’s deadline, and apparently felt that their policy on first-come, first-served on letters to the editor outweighed the need to correct their own serious error.

As to the long-standing policy, the Review chose to publish two letter critical of the council, and a third calling outright for voters to choose new city council members.

The Review has some explaining to do.