Times were rough, money was tight, and everyone had someone else to blame for all of their problems. I miss those days. When the recall was first proposed, no one thought twice about the possibility that it may actually happen, until of course Arnold Schwarzenegger swept down and became the people?s governor of California, proving them all wrong.

But have things really changed dramatically since then for better or worse, or was there just a personnel change in the top ranks?

Gray Davis, the former governor of California, was blamed for most of the state?s shortcomings, resulting in his quick downfall from the political world.

Schwarzenegger promised a better California across the boards, claiming to bring the state to a stronger place, and uniting the Democrats and the Republicans, while simultaneously fixing the problems left from Davis?s wake.

I was very skeptical of the weight lifter-turned actor-turned political leader, and I frankly saw no benefits from his dedication and vision for California. My life did not change for the better through the recall transition, if anything my life was worsened by the massive budget cuts that affected every student in the entire state. The problems may have been left from previous political hacks, whom I once fully supported, so the approval of the hero was slow but steady.

But this picture perfect story may actually have a happy ending, which is surprising for the political world. On Jan. 10, Schwarzenegger proposed a unique feat for California: a balanced budget. The news that Schwarzenegger actually understood that if you spend more money than the available budget, you cause a problem, shocked me.

The more impressive aspect was not so much that the budget was balanced, but state spending was increased by 4.2% from last year, specifically raising K-12 and higher education spending. I was fired up to see that there was finally hope for the dwindling problem that plagued the state that I loved, and had quickly developed a newfound respect for Schwarzenegger.

This gave me some hope for the future of our state and for this college, but then it dawned on me that these minor increases to education spending were only done after many years of harsh budget cuts on education. Sadly, this depressing piece of information puts in perspective that maybe there is a little bit of hope emerging for our state to get on top of a sub-par education system.

However, being a graduating senior I can?t say that these silver linings do me any good, as I already struggled through the large class sizes, poor class availability, and other pitfalls of a smaller budget, just like most of you.Through all the complaints and groans about this whole process, I have to say I finally am happy about the ways things turned out politically.

Considering the fact that we have a republican as president, I guess having a republican in office as governor helps us out in the long run.

When Davis was governor, it seemed that the Bush administration turned a deaf ear to the problems and cries from California, but now Bush seems to be eager to extend his hand for Schwarzenegger to crush it, smile for the camera, and endorse the commander-in-chief during his reelection.

As for Schwarzenegger, my opinion of him is still out to lunch, but I must say his actions with the budget may be the first step he has truly taken to earn some kudos points from the skeptical crowd. So my hat is off to you Mr. Schwarzenegger for doing what has needed to be done for some time now. Keep it up and don?t make a mistake, or we might see a Total Recall 2 emerge from the movie archives.

Contact Andrew Stewart at [email protected]