After a bit of a snag in the legislative process, Congress approved a $1.4 million allocation to replace a Scotts Valley childcare facility that’s in such bad shape it’s a danger zone.
Scotts Valley Vice Mayor Jim Reed remembers the time his own child was set to play George Washington in a work of student theater, and he got a first-hand look at the shape the Vine Hill Elementary School building was in.
“I almost kicked over a bucket of water that was catching rain,” he said, adding City of Scotts Valley and school authorities did what they could to keep it open as long as they could. “We put lipstick on a pig.”
But on March 10, a bipartisan group in the House of Representatives voted to pay for a brand-new building, as part of an omnibus funding bill stuffed with plenty of Democrats’ priorities.
Even the Senate got dozens of Republicans to vote for the $1.5 trillion package.
“I’m proud to have secured this funding which will expand education, decrease traffic, and strengthen senior care and mental health services in our communities,” Rep. Anna G. Eshoo said in a statement.
The measure put $12.5 million toward 10 projects in California’s 18th Congressional District, according to a spokesperson for the lawmaker.
Municipal representatives described the grassroots way Eshoo sought out which projects to fund.
“God bless Anna Eshoo,” Reed said, adding Eshoo took the time to make sure the Vine Hill building didn’t get lost in the Capitol Hill shuffle. “That’s exactly what local officials want.”
Since the school doesn’t have a gymnasium, money to replace the childcare building carries extra significance, he added.
“It’s like manna from heaven,” he said. “There are few public services that are more important to our community.”
Political pundits say the key to getting the proposals through Congress was the recent attitude shift in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Partisan divides had begun to dissipate.
Elected officials didn’t want to look like they’re “fiddling while Rome burns,” Reed commented.
The 2,741-page omnibus package includes $13.6 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
“I think (federal reps aren’t) in any mood to play silly games with necessary spending,” Reed said, adding despite the tentative nature of funding for Scotts Valley as the process played out, Eshoo was always honest with them. “She never over-promised.”
