My Vision for Oakland

It’s time for City Hall fiscal responsibility. It’s time for City Hall to deliver the services we need and pay for.

Residents mistakenly assume that pragmatic politicians are running City Hall. 



But many of our elected officials are well-intentioned ideologues who, in their heart of hearts, believe that spending more money on policing won't reduce any kind of crime and will only send more poor people of color into the school-to-prison pipeline. They will tell you that the only way to reduce crime here is to fix the underlying societal causes of crime.

I share many of their values and long-term goals, but I don’t share their belief that the City of Oakland has the vast resources to achieve them. Federal, State, and County government efforts will have to tackle those.


My goal isn't to eliminate crime. It's to bring our property and violent crime levels down to those of other cities.


We don’t have a strong business tax base, which work-from-home and crime have weakened further. We have many low-income residents who need services, and California law prohibits local governments from imposing income taxes on either individuals or businesses.



Imagine an Oakland that rivals NYC in vibrancy, safety, cleanliness, and maintenance. With our favorable climate, intelligent, innovative, and diverse residents, and our proximity to UC Berkeley, we have the potential to attract businesses that can provide jobs for our many unemployed and underemployed residents. This would significantly increase our tax base, enabling us to restore many of the non-core services that we are currently at risk of cutting due to our substantial structural (i.e. persistent) City deficit.

It’s time to refocus on the fundamentals, adopt a realistic approach to our finances, and ensure that residents receive the services they are paying for.

If we do that, our underlying strengths and advantages will make Oakland a better city for us all.