City council candidate Hung Wei often tells parents that although their kids may have graduated from high school, parents never do. Wei believes that after parents raise their kids and families, parents should do their best to educate the next generation.

“We should make our community a better place for everyone because we all share the same community,” she said. “If we don’t make our society a better place, there might be more that could endanger our kids.”

Wei herself started off as a volunteer for her children’s elementary and high schools, eventually becoming PTA president. In 2007, FUHSD school board member Catherine Ho resigned and Wei was offered Ho’s position. She accepted and has served on the board ever since.

Wei poses with her campaign sign at a Diwali festival. Photo used with permission from Hung Wei.

With experience volunteering for both schools and the Rotary club for the city, Wei believes in the importance of giving back to the community. Wei believes she can improve the city more effectively through the City Council, especially regarding the housing crisis in Cupertino.

“We need to be a little bit more inclusive, housing prices are so high and people who work here cannot live here and I think we need to think about that,” Wei said. “I’m hoping that we could build more inclusive housing that could accommodate people who work here, even for a high tech company.”

Additionally, Wei wants to increase public transportation in Cupertino. She recognizes the negative impact traffic has on the city, and the importance of reducing congestion.

“What we need to do is work with our neighboring cities, work with our major employers like Apple, like Google or Yahoo,” Wei said. “I think in the future for the next eight to 10 years, we need to ... bring transit into Cupertino and to all the west side cities.”

Furthermore, if she wins the election, Wei wants to emphasize education. As a board member for 11 years, she had a firsthand role in the impact of education on Cupertino.

“Education is key to less homeless people, less crime,” Wei said. “I’m hoping to do more library programs, more innovative programs that we can run so the kids can have more mentoring.”

Along with candidates Orrin Mahoney and Savita Vaidhyanathan, Wei is part of a group of candidates who believe in faster growth and supporting business in Cupertino. Wei realizes that she may face opposition from others, but understands the importance of distinguishing that neither side is wrong.

“We have different visions,” she said. “But not to move forward is not a good thing for Cupertino in the long run. It is better for Cupertino, better for the whole Silicon Valley.”