At the end of any other election, we might share a breath of relief. Oakland’s special election concluded with pretty clear winners after a week. I congratulate Mayor-elect Barbara Lee and District 2 Council member-elect Charlene Wang. Unfortunately, for those who will sit in the mayor’s office or city council, a familiar challenge looms large: the city's persistent financial straits. Whether you grew up here or chose Oakland as your home, we all love it and want to see it succeed, yet we find ourselves constantly set back with many community members facing economic uncertainty, crushing costs of living, deteriorating infrastructure, and unsafe streets.

In the spirit of hope, I will propose a radical idea to help Oakland grow its budget, fund services, and increase its political influence. The leaders of Oakland should plan to make Oakland a city of three million people and build the housing units to accommodate them.