Frank Mellon was clearly upset last August when an unknown candidate named Nick Harvey qualified for five different races in Alameda County, including a challenge for Mellon’s long-time seat on the East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD) Board of Directors.
Harvey originally pulled papers for eight seats around unincorporated Alameda County and Hayward. Among the five he qualified for include Mellon’s EBMUD seat, the Eden Health District Board of Directors, Hayward school board, Fairview Fire Protection Board of Directors, and the AC Transit Ward 4 seat held by board director Mark Williams.
Mellon’s animosity returned last weekend after Harvey did not attend a scheduled candidate forum on Sunday afternoon in Castro Valley, that included discussions between the candidates for Eden Health District, AC Transit and EBMUD.
“Harvey is making a mockery out of this election cycle. No candidate statement, no campaigning and, now, no-show for five candidate forums,” Mellon vented on Facebook. According to Mellon, Harvey also skipped forums last week.
“All the time and effort that the League [of Women Voters] puts into these forums was wasted. For People who adjusted their time to be at the Castro Valley Library on a Sunday afternoon–time lost,” wrote Mellon. “And the real shame is that there were people who are committed to their election who didn’t get a chance to be one-on-one with this person Why doesn’t he just do the honorable thing and tell the world he just doesn’t want to participate any further?”
Speaking from Texas, Harvey said.”I thank Frank for his kind words, but I think he should be focused instead on not raising [water] rates 9 percent this year and 17 percent last year.” Harvey confirmed he was participating in a family wedding last weekend in Dallas.
When Harvey’s name showed up on the list of qualified candidate on the day of the Aug. 10 deadline, Mellon called out Harvey on social media and suggested the move by his opponent would cost local districts millions since some of the races, including Mellon’s, would have likely gone unopposed, necessitating districts like EBMUD from paying the county to run their election.
But, Harvey’s move likely cost Mellon a few thousands dollars since the appearance of an opponent forced him to pay for his ballot statement to be included in the voter’s guide.
The EBMUD contest, however, is not the race Harvey has focused his most time. Instead, he has reserved criticism for his AC Transit opponent, board member Mark Williams. Harvey said Monday night that Williams has missed three candidates forum in recent weeks.
Williams is perhaps the most vulnerable of all Harvey’s opponents this November after the state elections watchdog, the Fair Political Practices Commission, initially fined Williams $60,000 for failing to file a campaign finance report for six years. Williams was first elected to the AC Transit seat representing parts of unincorporated Alameda County, San Leandro, and Hayward in 2010.
The fine was reportedly reduced to under $10,000, but Williams has not offered a public explanation or apology for his lack of transparency.
ebcitizen.com 
Janet = I’m sure Mark Williams would appreciate your appointing him to the EBMUD Board. However, as for me, I will continue running for the EBMUD Board. Take a look at my web page for more information.
http://www.mellonforebmud.com
Frank Mellon
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Absolutely ridiculous. He is just running in 5 races to get his name out there and he does not care about any of the issues, public duty and responsibilities associated with holding elected offices. These elected seats affect important aspects of our community like water, fire, transportation, etc and I doubt he really cares or knows about any of it because he has never shown up to talk about those issues. If he is so courageous, then he would show up to talk to voters. Knock on doors, attend candidate forums, and FACE THE PUBLIC. If he doesn’t have the nerve to actually talk to voters then he should not be running. He’s a total coward.
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Bravo for the audacious Nick!
He may not be technically experienced, nor does he do the drudgery of getting elected – for example: attend staged events and get financial backing.
What he does do is draw attention to the accountability of incumbents and candidates. Nick’s actions are at least serving to bring to conscious awareness of the political process at the local level. People sleepwalk through the selection process of our public representatives who most usually just act as a puppet show for their constituents, while the audience is getting their pockets picked (metaphorically speaking).
As for EBMUD director Mark Williams, I will pay more attention, as he ‘doth protest too much.’ Good candidates should welcome challenge Nick presents, or at least address it maturely.
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Let’s get a few things straight – my candidate statement cost $1,000 – that’s all. And, in typical Harvey fashion, wrong data is fired out to deflect from his own actions. He has no candidate statement, has no campaign and is a repeat no-show. Those are facts.
By Face Book posting, Harvey has shown that he pushed hard for the October 14th Candidate Forum – all the way up to October 11th when he suddenly discovered he had a wedding to go to. Now, I don’t know about anyone else, but around here – weddings are planned months in advance, unless they are a shotgun wedding. And it is natural to want to be at a planned wedding for a first cousin. But what is unnatural is to push hard for a Candidate Forum, knowing that you have a wedding to go to. That is, unless you never had any intention of going to the Candidate Forum.
Harvey is behaving like a Whack-a-Mole — popping up here and there and disappearing. This is not the behavior of any kind of genuine candidate for any kind of seat (remember he has been a no-show for 5 Candidate Forums), including the one allegedly being run for. It’s time for Harvey to do the honorable thing and Bow Out.
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It is time to toss the incumbents! Nicholas Harvey has no experience, background or political common sense. Those are virtues when compared with the incumbents who have shown little interest in the public or the taxpayers and have a long history of being bought and paid for by special interests.
AC Transit Ward 4.
A choice between the incumbent + criminal+union choice + scofflaw + cheat + criminal + no show (Mark Williams) and no show + no experience (Nick Harvey).
This one is easy. Toss the Incumbents.
Vote Nicholas Harvey.
EBMUD Ward 7. A choice between the incumbent + developer pawn + EBMUD lackey (Frank Mellon) and no show + no experience (Nick Harvey). Toss the Incumbents.
Vote Nicholas Harvey.
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