Tracy City Councilwoman Irene Sundberg is no Dorothy Zanussi, and the obstinate Sundberg should have never invoked the name of the late mayor and city councilwoman during Tuesday's council discussion on the merits of a university campus at 11th Street and Chris[s]man Road.
The beloved Zanussi, who died July 12, 2004, would have been first in line among the council members to encourage a university to locate in Tracy. And she would have wanted the campus on the eastern edge of the city because she understood that a university not only brings jobs but also new businesses to the neighborhood, which Sundberg unabashedly has labeled as "blighted." Zanussi was a strong proponent of both higher education and economic development.
The affable Zanussi was a team player on the City Council during her term from 1981 through 1990, and she had the knack to know when to play her political cards and when to fold them for the good of the community. Sadly, Sundberg hasn't learned this technique in her 15 months as an elected official.
She again was uncompromising Tuesday night when first City Manager Dan Hobbs, then Councilman Brent Ives and finally Mayor Dan Bilbrey asked her to join them in supporting a resolution to authorize city staff to begin negotiations with seven interested four-year universities. She didn't budge and was the only dissenter in the 4-1 vote.
We can sum up her reasoning thusly: Don't even think about negotiating away the 108-acre city property at 11th and Chris[s]man. There could be an outside chance that it could become the spot for a youth sports park if an environmental impact report shows that the No. 1 site, the 200-acre old federal antenna farm, could be a danger.
That's a lot of "coulds" and "ifs" to toss away the opportunity for preliminary discussions with higher education officials.
Because of yet another "no" vote, Sundberg has again lost the respect of her fellow council members, if there were any respect left to lose.
Dorothy Zanussi never had this problem, ever.