Here are the fiscal facts. Richmond (1) Can’t spend money it doesn’t have; and (2) Must raise more money.

Make no mistake, right now the city has several overwhelming financial obligations.

For example, Richmond must fund the existing city employee pension obligation (hundreds of millions of dollars), one that continues to grow, or the city will go bankrupt.

Whether you’re a homeowner, a renter, or a small businessperson, that’s a scary thought. But it’s one we must deal with.

We must prioritize the Richmond city budget around vital city services. Only after those are paid can we consider other discretionary expenditures.

To achieve smarter budgets, we must take politics out of the budgeting process, use municipal financial experts, include all stakeholders, and work toward collaborative consensus on all financial decisions in Richmond.

Regardless of their prior circumstances, no one should be living on the streets—in the open, under tents, or in cars and RVs.

Research now shows that the overwhelming majority of the 600+ people living on the streets of this city are from Richmond.

This is our community, and we need to work more effectively with county, state, and federal agencies to ensure that basic human needs are available to all.

To improve the human needs equation, however, we must think much bigger than we have thus far.

We must go beyond the basic humanitarian crisis activities of providing food and shelter so that we can plan ahead to address the complex root causes of homelessness: Poverty, interpersonal conflict, job insecurity, and mental health disorders.

We don’t have time and resources to reinvent the wheel. Instead, we must lobby the county, the state, and potential business collaborators to aim big and help Richmond create ways to provide comprehensive wrap-around services ranging from drug counseling and mental health support to job training and job placement.

With more jobs than beds in the Bay Area, the price of all housing will continue to rise beyond the level of affordability for many people.

For some people, this means they won’t move to Richmond.

For those people who already here, including lifelong residents, we must do everything possible to keep the people of Richmond in Richmond.

Affordable housing in this city starts by attracting developers to Richmond who will build new homes at all levels that renters and owners can afford.

New construction must include high-density housing near existing transportation, so people will have options that don’t include driving everywhere.

We must explore all options, including those dealing with city-owned property.

Democracy works best when all perspectives are included in the policymaking process—and it starts at the neighborhood level.

Richmond has long had a unique system of Neighborhood Councils, originally envisioned to serve as an extension of our City Council.

Unfortunately, only about a dozen of Richmond’s 30+ Neighborhood Councils are active.

It’s time to revitalize our Neighborhood Councils so that important issues are put to the people in the neighborhoods, where they can discuss these issues, then take them to the City Council.

When people discover that their voices actually matter, more of them will become involved. Then, we’ll be able to work together to build a better and brighter future that truly represents everyone in Richmond.

Although the U.S. Navy transferred this coastal land to the city over two decades ago, Richmond still has not transformed Point Molate into the “economic engine” that was promised under the transfer agreement.

Instead, the story of modern Point Molate is an indictment of everything that’s wrong with politics in Richmond.

Point Molate represents endless years of political ping-pong between special interests that pushed plans through only to be contradicted by new special interests intent on something else.

At no point in the previous 25 years has any leader or body of leaders been able to achieve a sufficient level of consensus necessary to follow through on a real plan for Point Molate.

Now that the Guidiville Rancheria tribe has control of the land for the next few years, Richmond has a new opportunity to engage in a transparent and collaborative process among multiple stakeholders.

With collaboration among all interested parties, Richmond can once and for all develop and follow through on a plan for Point Molate.

Isn’t that what everyone wants?

If you are a Richmond parent, do you know what these organizations have in common?

Bay Area Girls Club, Richmond Little League, RPAL, Richmond SOL, Richmond United, YouthBUILD, YouthWORKS, YES Nature to Neighborhoods.

All these are among a number of fantastic youth programs in Richmond, organizations that build life skills, create community, instill job skills, and provide recreational and social activities throughout the city.

However, these programs and others like them don’t reach all Richmond youth.

We must do more to ensure all families and all our youth are aware of these programs and know how to access them. This process starts with more effective partnerships among public, private, and nonprofit organizations.