Today, November 10, 2025, marks the 250th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps. The commissioning of the Corps took place in Tun Tavern, Philadelphia, on November 10, 1775. Its mission was to be a hard-hitting, fast-moving, and highly compelling amphibious infantry landing force for United States Navy vessels. The mission remains the same today.
I was proud to claim the title of United States Marine during the Vietnam War Era. I am still proud to claim the title of U.S. Marine today, as do my brothers and sisters of the Corps.
Semper Fi!
George Fuller, Ed.D., City Councilmember, District 5, City of Oakley, CA
I am vexed with Oakley City Hall. The staff and voting bloc of the City Council are moving back to the days of yore of the Bryan Montgomery dynasty. City Hall has taken the position of letting only the privileged few participate in the planning process. I am certainly not one of the blessed to have city planning information released to me.
A critical negotiation is currently underway with the City Manager. Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery (MDRR) is requesting a new contract that will span multiple years, allowing it to increase collection rates and support long-term capital enhancements for the organization.
We all know that refuse collection in municipalities has generated angst for the cities’ residents. San Francisco experienced difficulties with Recology, which collects refuse in that City.
Oakland’s recycling operation, Cal Waste Solutions, was the recent target of an FBI investigation involving the Doung family, who are influential political operatives in Oakland. The company was found to be involved with nefarious activities with the City of Oakland. Also, Oakland’s Mayor, Sheng Thao, was federally indicted for corruption as a result of the investigation. Oakland residents recently recalled her from the Mayor’s position.
Our area, a little section of the Bay Area, is not immune to political scandals involving refuse collection and political operatives. Recently, Mary Jo Rossi, a prominent Democrat in Concord, was the subject of an FBI search warrant. No explanation for the search warrant was provided, except that it followed the Duong corruption investigation.
Ms. Rossi was once associated with Garaventa Enterprises, the original name of MDRR. Ms. Rossi provided public relations for the organization. Garaventa Enterprises denies any association with Ms. Rossi at this time.
MDRR has strong connections with the Rotary Club of Oakley. MDRR habitually financially supports the Rotary Club’s fundraising with significant donations. MDRR pays the Club fees for an MDRR public relations person to be a member of the Rotary Club. An MDRR gave an application for Oakley Rotary, along with Aaron Meadows. MDRR has provided celebrations for Shannon Shaw, Aaron Meadows, and Anissa Williams to be the Mayor. All of these sponsored events cause one to wonder if they “really do not have any impact on refuse collection fees.”
The best way to ensure ethical negotiations is for the City Manager, Joshua McMurray, to provide regularly scheduled updates on the talks to the residents of Oakley. Residents are encouraged to communicate with Council members and City staff to request such updates.
Below are articles regarding the Duong corruption, the Thao corruption, and the Rossi search warrant
Arron Meadows and Shannon Shaw are quite the pair. Aaron Meadows is a council member for the City of Oakley. Councilmember Meadows is also the President of La Propriata, Inc., a realty/printing business in Oakley, CA. Mayor Shaw, the Mayor of Oakley, is an employee of La Propriata, Inc. In other words, Mayor Shaw is employed by Councilmember Meadows.
Councilmember Meadows reports an income of $10,000.00 to $100,000.00 from the business on his California Statement of Economic Interest (FPPC Form 700). Mayor Shaw stated on her Form 700, California Statement of Economic Interest, that she received no income from the business. She referred people for possible real estate purchases only from the company. Mayor Shaw is a licensed real estate agent, and Councilmember Meadows is a licensed real estate broker.
However, my understanding is when one real estate agent refers a possible client to another real estate agent who is listing a property for sale, and the referral buys the property from the agent listing the property, the agent making the referral receives a commission from the sale paid by the listing agent. The referral agent then pays a commission to the broker for whom the agent works for the use of the broker’s license to conduct real estate transactions.
Such a deal! I cannot see how Mayor Shaw and Councilmember Meadows do not have a conflict of interest. But, I imagine that when challenged, they both say that the arrangement has no bearing on how the City of Oakley business is conducted on the council dais. I am skeptical of that claim.
Below are links for Mayor Shaw’s and Councilmember Meadows’ Statements of Economic Interests.
YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO THIS!! Councilmember Williams demonstrated her extraordinary belief that she is a member of the power elite because she is a councilmember of Oakley during the last council meeting. Yes, the same Councilmember Anissa Williams, disguised as the Mayor of Oakley, flew to China courtesy of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), which funded the excursion.
Williams went to China on a sneaky basis. Councilmember Williams did not inform the residents of Oakley that she was going to China as an envoy for Oakley. Unfortunately, the City Manager, Joshua McMurray, and three other council members (Meadows, Shaw, and Henderson) hid the trip from the people of Oakley.
So, last Tuesday night (May 13), Williams observed that I nominated Edgar Flores as my alternate in an emergency. If I became incapacitated in a declared emergency, Mr. Flores would step to the dais. I asked Mr. Flores if he would be my alternate in an emergency. He graciously accepted.
Mr. Flores is a family man who resides in District 5 of the City of Oakley. He and his wife are raising their children in our City, and they attend Oakley schools. Mr. Flores is the business manager of District Council Sixteen of the Painters and Affiliated Trade Union. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Contra Costa Construction and Building Trades Council.
Mr. Flores arranged for District Council 16 to donate $4000.00 to the Friends of the Oakley Library to construct our new library. He also arranged a $1000.00 donation to the St. Vincent de Paul of St. Anthony’s food pantry to assist families in feeding their families during the Christmas Season. Mr. Flores assisted with that food distribution.
Mr. Flores is a proud member of the Heritage of Latino Culture.
Yes, I believe Ms. Williams observed Mr. Flores’ name on the consent calendar, realized he was Latino, and pulled his name from the item. This is the first time in my fifteen years in Oakley that a standby member nomination was challenged.
Williams said Mr. Flores was not qualified. He had not served in a public office or been a member of the right agency. I brought to the council’s attention his continued work with the trades and his commitment to the City of Oakley. None of it was good enough for Williams. She could sneak off the China on a PRC-paid trip, but Flores’s donating time, energy, and money was inadequate. It became clear that the real issue with Williams and the other council members was Mr. Flores’s Latino ancestry. I moved Mr. Flores’s approval for the standby position, but the Rotary Club of Oakley three plus one did not second the motion, so the motion died.
I want to note that I put some blame for the incident on our city manager, Joshua McMurray. He prepared the agenda. McMurray knew Flores would be rejected, or should have known. He then should have contacted me to inform me of the situation, and I could have removed the nomination. It would have saved Mr. Flores and his family from such a racist, humiliating, and embarrassing rejection.
I will comment on the incident further in the future.
Above is a picture of Williams giving the thumbs up to her PRC comrades and another of Mr. Flores giving The Friends of the Oakley Library a $4000.00 check.
Below is a link to the dialogue and rhetoric of the approval debate.
George Fuller, Ed.D., City Councilmember, District 5, City of Oakley
Councilmember Anissa Williams (above picture, white top with floral design) finally came clean that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) funded her visit to meet with PRC government officials when she served as Mayor in 2024. Williams’ recently filed Statement of Economic Interests (Form 700) lists all travel and lodging expenses funded by the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government (a segment of the People’s Republic of China, a Communist organization). Williams received $6944.00 for travel, $615.00 for lodging, and $425.00 for meals. A link to Williams’ Form 700 is below. I have highlighted the travel entries.
Much to my chagrin, Williams did not disclose her China travels to citizens of Oakley before her departure to China. She acknowledged the trip halfway through the junket when Judith Prieve published an article in the East Bay Times that Williams was in China. I was further chagrined that Oakley’s City Manager, Joshua McMurray, did not disclose the trip until the newspaper published the article.
When Williams returned, she explained that a non-profit (NGO) in Hong Kong had financed the trip. Unfortunately, Oakley City Hall acquiesced to her explanation and released a press notice saying an NGO paid for the trip, and it was a successful visit to China. I challenged the financing explanation by saying that the PRC owns and operates all organizations in China. There are no non-profit organizations, as we know them, in the PRC.
The State of Economic Interests is a governmental form signed by the submitter under the penalty of perjury. Williams needed to “come clean” and admit the PRC financed her ventures in China.
China is a hostile nation to the United States, as we all know. America sits at the edge of war with China over the South China Sea. China continually attempts to disrupt our economy. The United States Secretary of State discourages Americans from traveling to China because travelers frequently disappear and cannot be found. Amnesty International reports the PRC is one of the leading violators of human rights in the world.
Mayor Anissa Williams failed in her sworn oath to uphold the United States Constitution by her “secret trip to China.”
Above is a picture of Williams (center person, floral and white top) giving a thumbs-up with her comrades in China.
Below are articles from the New York Times and the Washington Post revealing the PRC’s attempt to gain influence in America’s local governments.
Below is a link to the Press Notice the City of Oakley sent concerning Williams’ trip to China.
Below is a link to Williams’ State of Economic Interest (Form 700) for 2024.
Matt Beinke and Ohara Properties besiege the City of Oakley with another cantankerous demand. Again, he indicates he demands sovereignty over the intersection of Laurel Rd and Ohara Ave. This time, it is on the Southwest corner. Beinke awakes his minions on the City Council dais and within City Hall to change the zoning of the intersection from commercial to residential high density so he and Ron Nunn can build at least forty-eight units on the property (actually, I think he envisions ninety-five units).
Again, he angered the people who coalesced to express their anger with his intentions. Again, Beinke could give a damn about their concerns. He does not need to listen to their problems with the voting bloc that delivered McDonalds and Quick Quack Car Wash still on the dais. There is little doubt that Meadows, Shaw, and Henderson will eventually squish to Beinke’s demands. (We have heard so many times Meadows proclaim, “My family has lived here six generations, and I know what is best for the City (Oakley).”
Two solid remedies I will suggest. First, attend the council meeting at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at City Hall to express your outrage over the proposal. I encourage all to come. The issue is a community-wide issue. Developers are rushing fast to bring zoning changes to enhance high-density housing in Oakley on land they own. All residents will feel their calls for a building frenzy in our town. Let the council hear what you think about the situation.
Additionally, come together as a community to file referendums blocking the zone changes Beinke proposes. The voting bloc has and will continue to approve developers’ requests and acquiesce to their demands. A referendum requires much hard work and team effort, but it is highly effective in stopping outlandish development in our beloved town.
A person is coordinating a referendum effort for the city residents is Nadine Obeid. She can be contacted at oakleycommunityaction@gmail. Reach out to her. Our community is strong, and residents need to be heard and acknowledged. Ms. Obeid’s efforts are a giant step forward in that endeavor.
George Fuller, Ed.D., City Councilmember, District 5, City of Oakley
Hi everyone – As expected, the Planning Commission will consider the Mercedes development this Tuesday, Feb 4. It is a 58-unit development on the Southwest corner of O’Hara Ave and Laurel Rd. Matt Beinke is asking for the review. (The same Matt Beinke that brought us Quick Quack Car Wash and McDonald’s across from Laurel Elementary School). I think the project will eventually be approved based on Oakley’s history.
The history involves the relationship with Councilmember Meadows, who has supported Beinke on several projects, including the gas station and car wash under construction on East Cypress Road at Sellers Av. Meadows can always count on his fellow Rotary Club members to vote as he directs them. So, we will proceed through pro forma governmental rituals before the council approves the rezoning of the parcel and the project.
Many Oakley residents have expressed resistance to the proposal. Understandably so. First, the zoning of the parcel is commercial. Beinke wants to convert it to residential high-density (RDH). He will construct fifty-eight units, 2000 sq feet, on 2300 sq foot lots—a significant change over a commercial development. People have asked me what remedies are available. A referendum is the most feasible from my perspective.
A referendum would negate a zoning change, disallowing construction of the project. A referendum is a city-wide vote nullifying a measure passed by the City Council. Creating a referendum vote is arduous, and it takes the entire city to get the referendum approved. I think now is the time for a referendum vote organizing group.
When the item comes up for a vote by the city council, people will have only approximately five days to respond. Once the project is approved, a limited time exists for a referendum application to come forward. Trying to organize a referendum after approval of a vote is extremely difficult. So, I advise people to attend the Planning Commission meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m. at the City Hall, 3231 Main St. If unable to participate, send an email to let the commissioners know where you stand on the project. Send the email to cityclerk@ci.oakley.ca.us before 5:00 p.m. on the 4th.
Get to know the people involved. Volunteer to help with those who are stepping out against the project. This is a city-wide issue and should be resident-oriented when considering the referendum.
I will not be in attendance at the commission meeting. I believe council members should distance themselves from commission activities and not intervene with their activities during commission meetings. I will be watching it on the City website.
Below are links to copies of the pertinent documents regarding the commission meeting.
I have been fortunate to live for multiple decades. I attended Veteran’s Day events in elementary, middle, and high schools. I have attended Veteran’s Day events in more than college. I have attended Veteran’s Day events throughout our great nation. The City of Oakley’s Veteran Day observance was the first I have attended, where Veterans were not asked to stand and be recognized.
As a council member, I am embarrassed that the City of Oakley bypassed that recognition. I will work diligently to ensure such a disrespectful act does not happen again to our Veterans here in Oakley and throughout the United States. Considering Councilmember Anissa William was conducting the event, I should not be surprised by the turn of events.
George Fuller, Ed.D. City Councilmember, District 5, City of Oakley, CA
I do worry about what hides in City Hall. Situations such as R&R Pacific Construction arise with what appears to be no satisfactory answers as to what is happening. On previous occasions, I wrote about the number of complaints I received involving R&R Pacific Construction regarding wage theft, labor agreement violations, and other labor complaints. I have received an answer from Kevin Rohani that there is no basis for the complaints.
Also, I perceive an excessive number of projects where R&R Pacific Construction is the lowest bidder. People tell me that this is because R&R is a local company (I don’t know how Woodlawn is local to Oakley) and thus can “get up and running” with less expense than others.
I investigated further. I filed a Public Records Request (PRA) for all change orders for contracts awarded to R&R Pacific Construction from 2010 to 2024. I did receive change orders for such contracts from 2010-2020 (contracts awarded to R&R during the Bryan Montgomery era). The change orders for 2020-2024 were not there (change orders approved for R&R during the Joshua McMurray era). City officials tell me they will arrive at the end of September (honestly, I believe I will not see them until after the election on November 5).
One example I discovered was CIP Project 237, which involved street repair in 2020. The original bid summary indicated that R&R had the highest bid at $1,087,774.95. So that bid became Plan A. Subsequently, Plans B and C appeared, with R&R having the lowest bids at 834,136.10 and 735,026.95. The combined totals of B and C were $1,569,164.00.
R&R got the contract for 955,313.68. R&R submitted change orders of $58,000.00, which brought the project total to $1,013,313.68.
I asked Mr. McMurray why R&R was awarded the contract. What determination appeared to cause the contract to go to R&R. Mr. McMurray is not addressing the question. I have received at least one message from him saying he did not need to answer such questions unless the council issued a resolution directing him to do so. If you have lived in Oakley for several months or more, you know the council will likely not direct Mr. McMurray to respond.
The situation is something to remember as we move towards election day, November 5.
A link to a copy of the documents I mentioned above is below.
Corruption is rampant in local communities in California, and federal authorities report it. Over the past ten years, the F.B.I. has reported that over 576 local officials in California have been convicted of misconduct in office. The F.B.I. tells us that California’s corruption numbers continue to climb because California is a one-party state, inattentive voters, and a weakened news media have reduced traditional checks of those in power in California. As an Oakley City Councilmember, I worry about the subject continuously.
Oakley is as vulnerable to corruption as every other California municipality. I have spoken of the abuses of discretion by our former City Manager, Bryan Montgomery. I was met with hostile replies when I mentioned some of his transgressions, especially from the Rotary Club of Oakley members during the 2020 election. The membership circled the wagons to protect Montgomery.
During the current election in 2024, some council members have pushed to silence anyone who takes a different path from the one they follow. The hope is to create a homogenous council so there will be no despairing words about their positions on issues.
I suggest that Oakley citizens be aware of the danger of complacency. Vote your voice on November 5, 2024. Make your positions known on the issues that confront Oakley. If you observe questionable behavior from city officials, bring the conduct forward. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office is pursuing public corruption throughout the county, not just Antioch. The F.B.I. has a public corruption unit in their office in San Francisco. The California Attorney General’s Office, as does the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), investigates public corruption. Contact them rather than be silent.
Most importantly, speak out.
A link to a New York Times article by Ralph Vartabedian reporting the corruption is below.
