BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
Parks Commissioner Yudy Deng is positioning herself as a community organizer and an outsider to City Hall in her campaign for Palo Alto City Council.
In particular, Deng said she has a background mobilizing the Chinese heritage community in Palo Alto. She hosts Mahjong tables on Cal Ave. and is chief development officer for the Society for Heart’s Delight, a nonprofit focused on engaging Chinese immigrants in the South Bay.
“As a council member, you don’t just sit there and study. You need to go into the community and talk to people,” she said in an interview.
Deng, 42, immigrated from China in 2011 and moved from Bellevue, Wash., to Palo Alto in 2018.
Deng said the city has moved too slow — on addressing RV dwellers, planning for housing and approving permits. “I’m very frustrated,” she said. Deng said she wants common permits to be approved in 30 days to reduce storefront vacancies and lower home improvement costs. She also wants to offer more same-day permit approvals and guarantee inspections within one week.
Deng said council isn’t monitoring City Manager Ed Shikada’s performance effectively, and it seems like he’s in charge. “
Council members should decide the trend of the city, not the city manager,” Deng said. Deng addressed her out-of-town support, with 24 of 39 donations coming from outside Palo Alto in her first fundraising report.
Deng said she asked friends from college, Bellevue and the nonprofit sector. She said most of her friends are tech engineers, attorneys or people she knows from nonprofit work.
“Nothing suspicious,” she said. Deng raised $82,307 through June 30, a record total at this point in the race.
She is endorsed by outgoing Councilwoman Julie Lytchott-Haims, Councilman George Lu, school board member Rowena Chiu, Assemblyman Marc Berman, state Sen. Josh Becker, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen, Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga and state Treasurer Fiona Ma.
The Palo Alto City Council doesn’t solve problems too slowly, it creates problems too quickly.
Of course she says PA’s moving too slowly while ignoring the economic realities. That’s what she’s paid to say as shown by her huge campaign funding advantage when she first declared her candidacy, with most money coming from outsiders.
No coincidence this is the same $$$$$ advantage enjoyed by Julie Lythcott-Haims and George Lu here in PA and the unresponsive do-nothing Marc “Builder’s Remedy” Berman.
If Deng’s so frustrated by PA becoming the regional OSV haven, let her ask her buddy JLH why JLH keeps saying it’s PA’s responsibility to house them and how she’d love to have them in her own driveway.
What is Yudy Deng’s position for RV dwellers? She’s only said the city is slow on addressing, but where is her position? Ban? or…?
Moving to the U.S. from China in 2011 does not, by itself, establish the trust or transparency voters should expect. Her nationality is not the issue—her actions, affiliations, and accountability are.
The recent case of former Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang, who pleaded guilty to acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government, shows why voters are entitled to ask legitimate questions about undisclosed foreign-government ties. And “move quickly” is not a governing philosophy. Palo Alto is a democracy, not a totalitarian regime. Speed matters, but so do due process, public oversight, and accountability.
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I agree that Ed Shikada is overcompensated relative to his performance, and Palo Alto has plenty of room for improvement. But criticizing the City Manager isn’t a plan.
If Deng believes the Council isn’t holding him accountable, she should tell voters exactly what she would do differently: establish measurable performance targets, publish regular progress reports, set deadlines for permits and city services, and tie the City Manager’s evaluation and compensation to results. If those standards aren’t met, what specific consequences would she support—including replacement? Palo Alto doesn’t need more complaints about a neglected city. It needs a concrete plan, measurable results, and accountability when those results aren’t delivered.
Having watched Parks & Rec Commission meetings, I was not impressed with Yudy’s abilities; she talks in platitudes, and did not propose solutions. Looking at her list of endorsers, she is a developer friendly candidate.
Deng says she wants to lower housing costs so young families can live here.
Admirable sentiment, but short of direct subsidies, in the real world the City Council has basically no influence over that; even the State Legislature has completely failed. So it’s another lightweight “I feel your pain” platitude with nothing behind it. Sometimes called “lying.”
And Mitchell Park makes the lack of leadership even harder to ignore. Palo Alto has been wrestling for years with the growing conflict between pickleball and tennis, including turning tennis courts into multi-use space and giving pickleball substantial priority time. Deng has been on the Parks & Recreation Commission since November 2024, yet on one of the most contentious recreation-access issues in the city, where is she?
What has Yudy Deng actually done at Mitchell Park to protect tennis access, address the loss of tennis capacity, or demand a fairer allocation of public court space? What motion did she make, what position did she take, what change did she fight for—and what was the result?
Instead, what we get is platitudes, community-organizer talking points, political fundraising and endorsements—not measurable results. If she wants credit for being a Parks commissioner, then show us the vote, the initiative, the policy change, or the outcome. “Commissioner” is a title. What has she actually accomplished?
I think Palo Alto is similar to Berkeley in a lot of ways besides both being university towns. Berkeley is the ultimate nanny state and its latest nanny state caper was banning the sale of candy in small packages at supermarket checkout stands. The results are finally in and it turns out Berkeley shoppers are actually buying more candy now only they’re buying it in big bags rather than small packages. Don’t expect them to repeal the law anytime soon.
In case you missed the latest CC candidate funding reports filed with the city, Deng has raised $166,128.92 with no outstanding debt which is $80,000 more than any of the other candidates with 69% of Deng’s funding coming outside Palo Alto.
Her treasurer and assistant treasure are both paid Sacramento consultants, not locals.
One wonders what they expect from a first-time city council member in exchange.
Deng thinks that her outside the Beltway donations will ensure a seat on the city council dais. She is Palo Alto Forward all the way a subsidiary of YIMBY supported by the developers and Scott Wiener. Now we learn that her treasurer and assistant treasurer are both from Sacramento. She has a pleasing countenance and says she is all about community. Then why does she have to go to the capitol to get treasurers? The fact is follow the money. The lesson learned from Whitman and Steyer is you cannot BUY the office. Deng is not running to serve Palo Altans. Her outside donors show that she is not a serious candidate and the residents know this. She reminds me of a pretty butterfly floating through a garden but not landing.