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Given the passion and drive she had in fighting for the neighborhood's priorities when the previous council tried to impose the Maybell project, I'm positive she would do a better job representing average residents like me than some of those opportunists supported by real estate developers who use a seat in the council as a stepping stone and/or push their hidden agendas.

If Lydia Kou had won in the last election, Palo Alto would be a better city today. Good luck Lydia!

If Lydia Qou is elected to the Palo Alto City Council, this town just might regain its soul, which has been lost by decades of council members who basically sold their soul to the mindless and destrucctive development and urbanization devil. I will support her candidacy in anyway I possibly can.

Great news! Go, Lydia. She does her homework. time to request a lawn sign.

She has not impressed me on the CAC. Not very thoughtful and very ideological. [Portion removed.]

Isn't Lydia Kou a real estate agent? Doesn't that disqualify her? [Portion removed.]
I would not to be able to vote for her, because I was so disappointed that Cory Wolbach (a phony, imo) edged her out in the last election. I think Palo Alto would be a better place today had Lydia Kou won [portion removed.]

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I worked with Lydia Kou in Palo Alto's Emergency Preparedness Program and saw firsthand how hard she has worked for residents of the City. She has shown her ongoing commitment to residents in her extensive involvement in fighting the original proposal for Maybell to cram 3-story homes in a one-story neighborhood. She ralleyed citizen support for the current 16-home plan that is not only consistent with the neighborhood but provides over $4M in funds to build below market-rate housing. I will vote for Lydia Kou because she will put the interests of residents first when she is on the Council.

RE: "Wait a Minute"
Being a real estate agent is not disqualifying. You may be thinking of "conflict of interest" where Council members are supposed to recuse themselves from votes that have significant benefits to them. For example, a Council member should recuse him/herself from a vote to improve the park across the street from their house (could affect their home value). However, they can, and should, vote on plans to improve parks throughout the city -- the benefits are similar to those for other residents.

The issues that affect a residential real estate agent such as Lydia Kou don't seem to be those where recusal becomes a question, especially since the time frame of Council decisions is so much longer than it takes to list and sell a property.

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On the other hand, if there is more inventory to sell, there are more commissions. The voters know what her job is; they can decide for themselves if that's a general conflict.

Lydia, I hope you're watching this thread. You have my wholehearted support. I voted for you last time and was disappointed when you didn't win. Thanks for all of your hard work on our behalf.

So lydia supports the violation of the rules with regard to the mayell site homes that her fellow travellers, holman, filseth and dubois supported? Doesn't sound to be that we can take her as a serious candidate given her selective enforcement of rules regarding building.

Lydia is exactly who we need on the council.

The weekly screwed up in a huge way when they endorsed Wolbach during the last election cycle, based on a vague centrist, civility platform that he ejected the day after the election when he put on his Palo Alto Forward, pro development zealot hat for all to see.

Lydia is smart and her loyalties lie exactly where they should: with the citizens of Palo Alto, and not with the monied development interests that would buy her support in exchange for heavy financial backing in future elections (see Berman, Mark).

Thanks Lydia, for stepping up for he people of Palo Alto.

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Through experience and hard work Lydia Kou has acquired a thorough understanding of how the City works. Whether as a member of a City committee or in appearing before City Commissions and the Council she comes prepared and makes a decision or offers a perspective that is based on the facts and legal constraints. These past actions demonstrate that she will make timely decisions that are in the best interests of the City's residents and businesses.

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@Robert, the policies that drive up housing prices are those that create enable more development and more density in Palo Alto. Any new housing development drives up the price of housing, as it makes the same privileged few able to outbid all other potential buyers houses and set new and higher bench marks for housing.

Congratulations Lydia!
I salute your resilience and your determination to overcome that unwarranted defeat last time, by a very skillful two-timer. We need your voice on the Council.

Lots of people were behind you, and we will be again.

@mauricio

I'm sorry, please elaborate on how that makes for less possibility of a conflict of interest?

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I voted for her last time and I'll vote for her again. Palo Alto needs her.

This is very good news. With her depth and breadth of knowledge about Palo Alto and the issues the council so often has on the agenda I will be volunteering to work on her campaign.

Congratulations Lydia

She had enough votes in 2014 to be a council member.
The county registrar of voters had a big crisis with their IT manager leaving his job. I am afraid some of the count was messed up in favor of other person that is on the council now.

I proposed about two months back for Marc Berman to resign his seat since he is running for 24th assembly.

I suggested in a city hall meeting Lydia to be appointed as an interim council member so she can gain 6 plus months of experience.

So, Lydia is well liked by many and she will do a fine job.

Please elect her.

Respectfully

The sudden shift in the vote count which put Lydia slightly behind in a close vote was difficult to understand and reconcile at the time. Her vote on the right side of the issues is not the only reason we need to elect her- she can provide the strong leadership and change in tone which is needed to actually confront the issues facing this City in a meaningful way. A blowout for her will be more than symbolic but also underpin these efforts for a resoluteness and resolve for real change.

Here we go again. The Weekly showing your true colors and political bias deleting every post that is in any way negative toward Koo's run.

Those of us who truly care about the future of Palo Alto will just need to double our efforts to be sure we defeat her again.

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As a former long time resident of Palo Alto, I have seen and come to know Lydia as a community leader with tremendous energy, intelligence and good will. Lydia, wish you all the best and success!

Terrific news for the Palo Alto. I hope we will be smart this time around and give her more than enough votes to put her on the CC.

I'm looking forward to vote for Lydia, a clear thinker and doer!

Cheers

I am serving alongside Lydia Kou on the Citizen Advisory Committee for the Comprehensive Plan and have been impressed with her broad and deep understanding of the issues effecting Palo Alto's livability. She understands the causes of our parking, traffic and land use issues and how to fix them. She is very concerned with making sure the folks who live here are well represented on City Council. I will be supporting and voting for her.

If you don't mind having on the City Council a person who feigns sympathy and understanding of your concerns and presents herself as willing to compromise and work together on a solution, but then who turns her back on you and pushes whatever solution favors her personal agenda, then Lydia is the candidate for you. I'd rather have a thoughtful, open minded, responsive person on the City Council, an honest person who looks to the greater good rather than just what serves her purposes.

I personally do not believe someone like Lydia represents me as a current renter who also works in Palo Alto and plans to stay here and raise a family here. I do not think Lydia is progressive and I think she represents the zero-growth perspective, not the slow-growth perspective. It is disturbing to see that several members of the city council have already endorsed Lydia and how much opposition there is for any kind of growth and planning for the future here. We need to address the quality of life for ALL of Palo Alto and that includes young families, seniors, renters and workers.

I am also very disturbed by how many posts are deleted here and how much bias there is at Palo Alto Weekly/Online. I feel that it is not representing all of the community that it claims to represent.

To those "disturbed" by the number of deleted posts:
I saw many of them before they were deleted. There was outright obscenity directed against Kou and other aspects of the harassment against women that the Internet is so infamous for. Two of the deleted comments are mine - responses to the harassing comments because I know that there can be substantial delays by the moderators on the weekends in dealing with such (they have a life outside TSF).

@jane_u : Lydia and the council members endorsing her believe new developments should follow the zoning rules. I'd hardly consider that zero growth. The rules are there to protect neighboring properties and the community. It's the lack of planning that has resulted in downtown Palo Alto being under parked and the bad traffic throughout Palo Alto during rush hours. The Residential Parking Program exists because there were too many parking zoning exemptions granted so now employees park in residential neighborhoods to make up for that. There are people who are consider over developing Palo Alto as being progressive. Instead we need a thoughtful approach that realistically looks at the impacts on traffic, parking and housing, which Lydia brings.

Lydia is civic minded, thoughtful, open minded and capable. She has given much to the community, serving in in many volunteer roles. I support her City Council bid enthusiastically.

Bravo, Lydia
I have worked with Lydia on nerghborhood disaster preparedness. I find her well prepared with clearly thought out ideas. She works hard in the right way. There is no one I know who would be better for PaloAlto council. She is the best. Ahe was my favorite last time and I will support her again
Thank you for joining the race again Lydia.
kaySs

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@Questions Remain:

Can you spell out what the exact conflict of interest would be?

As the spouse of a real estate agent, I can tell you that you are wrong in your assessment of real estate agents. Maybe you were thinking of lawyers...

Be kind rewind.

Hi,

I became a 'johnny come lately' on the PA political scene until just 3 years ago when I became aware of all the issues confronting us. I was involved many years ago...anyone remember Mayor Ed Arnold? But then I took a 40 year hiatus. Maybe not surprisingly, we had some of the same issues back then. The 'D' Referendum, BV, and all the rest...rezoning, PC, developer issues, caught my attention and I really got involved again when my good friend, Cory Wolbach, ran for office. I supported him and voted for him. Now I know the candidate he eked out a win over is running for the the same office again. I will vote for Lydia this time around so they can both get to speak and vote before the CC. A great way for a rematch to happen. Speak out on issues and then take a vote at CC.