I’ve offered predictions for 2010, but here’s something different: a list of topics for this website in the year ahead. It’s sure to change, but here are a few broad topics that interest me.

1. The Press. Nothing would improve our local politics more than a strong local press. Not blogs, but a local press that’s something more than a lapdog to politicians and bureaucrats. The old year was a good lesson in how bad most press coverage of Whitewater really is, and reviewing and commenting on news coverage will require more time and attention. If anything, newspapers in 2009 got an easy pass, much to the detriment of truth, fairness, and common sense.

Only one publisher covered Whitewater and Walworth County professionally. For the rest, it was fawning, flacking, and excuse-making on behalf of politicians and bureaucrats.

I’m also curious about the relative strength of nearby papers (Register, Daily Union, Gazette), and the online Banner. The papers report their circulation figures to the state, using one from a number of circulation auditing services, but Wisconsin is tardy in updating those numbers.

We may be the only town in Wisconsin where the conflict between politician and news site is so complete they are one in the same. As much wouldn’t have happened in a normal political culture.

It’s one of the many reasons for optimism in 2010 – the examples here are so stark and egregious, that one can illuminate them easily.

2. Markets. The Phantom Stranger wrote in recently, and reminded me of some of the challenges that we have with local markets– we don’t have enough competition for certain basic services, and consumers are at the mercy of only a few suppliers. He’s right, and this is a problem for Whitewater that’s ignored when one reads or thinks only about what the City of Whitewater considers a priority.

Our municipal administration favors big ticket projects over the actual improvement that would come from a city more inviting to business.

We aren’t more attractive because we spend and tax for big ticket projects, or because we waste money marketing a town different from the one that business people will find when they actually visit Whitewater. We could be more attractive, if we would reduce significantly both taxes and regulations, and allow businesses to take root on their own.

The guiding, but shaky, hand of our municipal administration offers no real improvement in life for common people.

The only power our small city has is to regulate, and she so often oversteps prudent exercise of that authority that current businesses are burdened to exhaustion, and prospective businesses discouraged from ever setting up shop here.

3. Public Records. There’s much about which to consider, and then write, about how Whitewater’s leading politicians and bureaucrats comply with Wisconsin’s public records law.

I have a series to run, after some follow up.

4. Open Meetings. Wisconsin has an open meetings law, governing public meetings in the state. (See, WOML, ss. 19.81-19.98, Stats.)

The law is more – far more – than a guide to officials’ conduct of meetings. It’s a defense of citizens’ rights, assuring open access to public proceedings.

In Whitewater, some meetings are televised, but others aren’t. There are only so many places that Whitewater’s public access television staff can reach. They currently provide the only truly comprehensive records of Whitewater meetings.

And yet, it doesn’t have to be this way. A citizen has a right to record public meetings, too, and a municipality has a legal obligation to accommodate that recording.

There is much more to write about this topic, at another time: what the law allows citizens, what it requires of officials, and how one can usefully record public, open-session meetings in Wisconsin.

It’s enough to say this – some of these gentlemen will not end the year as they have arrogantly lived so many before: relying only on shabby minutes, with their actual words (whether many or few) unknown to the broader public.

What they once did unobserved can lawfully be recorded and seen openly. They may choose to conduct themselves as they wish: the result will be available either way.

5. Grant Spending. Ever wonder what a federal grant requires, and how the money gets spent? How a project starts out at one cost, but ends up far higher in final expense?

Why not pick a project, and find out?

The year will offer all number of twists and turns, but that’s part of the fun – the adventure – of commentary on life in town.

Here’s my local, amateur version of (the now late) William Safire’s tradition of offering annual predictions, when he was at the New York Times. The list for 2010:

1. In 2010, the University will win the following number of national sports championships:
A. None
B. One
C. Two
D. More than two

2. A new Innovation Center will, during the year, produce
A. Cold Fusion
B. the Flux Capacitor
C. More press and publicity than actual benefit
D. More actual benefit than press and publicity

3. Of the following print publications, how many will fold in 2010? (Daily Union, Janesville Gazette, Good Morning Advertiser, Whitewater Register, City of Whitewater Newsletter as Utility Bill Insert, Newsweek.)
A. None
B. One
C. Two
D. More than two

4. This year, how many incumbent Common Council members will be defeated in their bids for office?
A. None
B. One
C. Two
D. Three

5. During the year, how often will Whitewater politicians and bureaucrats use the phrases “in my years of municipal experience,” “I don’t know who would do such a thing,” “he said it was in the Constitution already,” or “move on to other business?”
A. Never
B. Occasionally
C. Often
D. Too often

6. During the year, how many high-placed city officials will leave office?
A. None
B. One
C. Two
D. Not enough

7. By year’s end, most residents will likely conclude that enforcement of city codes and ordinances is
A. Fair and impartial as always
B. Sometimes unfair and biased as currently
C. Much improved
D. Much worse

8. Retail vacancies across the city will at year’s end will be
A. Far fewer than now
B. Slightly fewer than now
C. About the same as now
D. Greater than now

9. The 2011 Whitewater city budget, adopted in the late fall, will
A. Lead to a slight net tax decrease for city residents
B. Lead to a slight net tax increase for city residents
C. Lead to a significant net tax decrease for city residents
D. Lead to a significant net tax increase for city residents

10. Tax Incremental District 4 will be a candidate for
A. Not much of anything
B. Distressed status, should the state pass relevant legislation in 2010
C. A newly-created General Motors Award for sound financial management
D. Designation as a prairie habitat

Adams’s guesses for 2010:

1. In 2010, the University will win the following number of national sports championships:
B. One

2. A new Innovation Center will, during the year, produce
C. More press and publicity than actual benefit

3. Of the following print publications, how many will fold in 2010? (Daily Union, Janesville Gazette, Good Morning Advertiser, Whitewater Register, City of Whitewater Newsletter as Utility Bill Insert, Newsweek.)
C. Two (Note to the Phantom Stranger: I think this will be the year.)

4. This year, how many incumbent Common Council members will be defeated in their bids for office?
A. None

5. During the year, how often will Whitewater politicians and bureaucrats use the phrases “in my years of municipal experience,” “I don’t know who would do such a thing,” “he said it was in the Constitution already,” or “move on to other business?”
D. Too often

6. During the year, how many high-placed city officials will leave office?
C. Two (Although ‘not enough’ is right choice, too, a priori.)

7. By year’s end, most residents will likely conclude that enforcement of city codes and ordinances is
B. Sometimes unfair and biased as currently (that is, no improvement at all)

8. Retail vacancies across the city will at year’s end will be
D. Greater than now

9. The 2011 Whitewater city budget, adopted in the late fall, will
D. Lead to a significant net tax increase for city residents

10. Tax Incremental District 4 will be a candidate for
B. Distressed status, should the state pass relevant legislation in 2010

We’ll see how I did at predicting at year’s end.

Here is my early January 2009 post with predictions for the year. How did I do?
Results below the post….

Here’s my local, amateur version, in honor of former columnist [the late] William Safire’s long-standing tradition, of offering annual predictions. The list for 2009:

1. In 2009, the University will win the following number of national sports championships:
A. None
B. One
C. Two
D. More than two

2. The land adjacent to Whitewater’s award-winning roundabout will be
A. Fully developed
B. Partially developed
C. Proposed, but undeveloped, along an entirely new plan
D. As it is now, with no additional development proposed or undertaken

3. Of the following print publications,how many will fold in 2009? (Daily Union, Janesville Gazette, Good Morning Advertiser, Whitewater Register, City of Whitewater Newsletter as Utility Bill Insert, Journal of the American Medical Association.)
A. None
B. One
C. Two
D. More than two

4. This year, how many current Common Council members will be defeated in their bids for office?
A. None
B. One
C. Two
D. Three

5. Following last year’s prediction — between now and year’s end, the unemployment rate in Whitewater will
A. Drop
B. Increase slightly
C. Increase significantly — up 25% or more as a percentage increase year-over-year
D. No change

6. Of these choices, it is most likely that the Whitewater City Manager will
A. Reduce unemployment in the city
B. Reduce poverty in the city
C. Increase opportunities for small businesses
D. Write the introduction to the next edition of Emily Post’s Etiquette

7. During the current recession, nearby Fort Atkinson and Delavan will fare, compared against Whitewater in economic health,
A. Worse than Whitewater
B. The same as Whitewater
C. Better than Whitewater
D. Far better than Whitewater

8. The City of Whitewater’s Administration will form a task force to study
A. Super-shrewd techniques in public relations
B. Wearing of plaid in the off-season
C. Use of false humility to win friends and influence people
D. The easier formation of task forces

9. Following last year’s prediction, market-penetration rate of the Whitewater Register will
A. Remain unchanged
B. Decline slightly
C. Decline significantly
D. Increase

10. The new District Administrator, after Dr. Steinhaus, for the Whitewater Unified School District will be
A. A current WUSD principal
B. Chief Jim Coan — no other teaches so well
C. An outside candidate
D. Dr. Steinhaus, again — will she really offer less in retirement than she does now? Stick with the known!

Adams’s guesses for 2009:

1. In 2009, the University will win the following number of national sports championships:
C. Two

2. The land adjacent to Whitewater’s award-winning roundabout will be
C. Proposed, but undeveloped, along an entirely new plan

3. Of the following print publications,how many will fold in 2009? (Daily Union, Janesville Gazette, Good Morning Advertiser, Whitewater Register, City of Whitewater Newsletter as Utility Bill Insert, Journal of the American Medical Association.)
B. One

4. This year, how many current Common Council members will be defeated in their bids for office?
C. Two

5. Following last year’s prediction — between now and year’s end, the unemployment rate in Whitewater will
B. Increase slightly

6. Of these choices, it is most likely that the Whitewater City Manager will
D. Write the introduction to the next edition of Emily Post’s Etiquette

7. During the current recession, nearby Fort Atkinson and Delavan will fare, compared against Whitewater in economic health,
C. Better than Whitewater

8. The City of Whitewater’s Administration will form a task force to study
D. The easier formation of task forces

9. Following last year’s prediction, market-penetration rate of the Whitewater Register will
C. Decline significantly

10. The new District Administrator, after Dr. Steinhaus, for the Whitewater Unified School District will be
C. An outside candidate

We’ll see how we did at predicting at year’s end.

Here’s how I’d say I did —

1. Correct — football and wheelchair basketball.

2. Wrong — I was wrongly optimistic — there wasn’t any meaningful plan — it’s just vacant land, except for a realtor’s sign.

3. Wrong — Each publication is still around.

4. Wrong — Only one current Council member was defeated, and that’s because it was a race between two current members. Incumbency won yet again.

5. Wrong — On an annual basis, unemployment is up significantly almost everywhere in Wisconsin, by large percentages over last year. See, November Local Unemployment Rates Announced, WI DWD. Again, I was overly optimistic.

6. Correct. I didn’t predict what would happen, merely what was most likely. I am proved correct: it was and is more likely that City Manager Kevin Brunner would write the introduction to the next edition of Emily Post’s Etiquette than reduce unemployment, reduce poverty, or increase opportunities for small businesses. I think he’s more likely to become an astronaut than do any of those positive things. When conditions improve, it will have been in spite of his polices.

7. Correct. I think this is true – that where poverty is greater (with us) conditions will have been worse than where it has been less (with neighboring towns).

8. Wrong, but only so far. The city’s fickle and inconstant attentions have drifted to a Tech Park, but that interest will fade, and there’ll be another object of ardent attention soon enough. Then, perhaps, the need to manage task forces will present itself again.

9. Correct, I think. I would guess that the Register has declined year over, yet again. Unfortunately, Wisconsin is tardy in updating official circulation numbers through a state website. When someone at the state finally decides to update a project that was once updated monthly, then one will have a better understanding. If there’s any group that could stand an increase in unemployment, it’s the State of Wisconsin’s workforce.

10. Correct. The WUSD chose an outside candidate.

So, fifty-fifty for this year, I’d say. Not great forecasting, but great fun in the writing, surely.

Next: Predictions for 2010.