Here’s a review of my amateur version of the late William Safire’s long-standing tradition of offering annual predictions. This was my list for 2014, the seventh-annual FW edition. Let’s see how I did:
1. In the governor’s race, Scott Walker will:
A. Win the city and the state
B. Lose the city but win the state
C. Lose the city and the state
D. The election results will be contested with no certain winner in 2014
Adams’s guess: B. Lose the city but win the state.
Correct answer: B. Lose the city but win the state.
2. In the 43rd Assembly race, Rep. Jorgensen will
A. Win a close race (less than 3 pt. margin)
B. Lose a close race (less than 3 pt. margin)
C. Win comfortably (between 3 and 7 pts.)
D. Win decisively (over 7 pts.)
Adams’s guess: D. Win decisively (over 7 pts.).
Correct answer: D. Win decisively (over 7 pts.). Rep. Jorgensen won by 20 points.
3. The Municipal Administration leadership (full-time staff) will see
A. One leader leave
B. Two leaders leave
C. More than two leave
D. No leaders leave
Adams’s guess: A. One leader leave.
Correct answer: A. One leader left. Latisha Birkeland left Neighborhood Services in the spring.
4. Of print newspapers in the area,
A. One will fold
B. Two will fold
C. One will reduce its print edition from a daily to a weekly
D. There will be no significant changes to print or online operations
Adams’s guess: C. One will reduce its print edition from a daily to a weekly.
Correct answer: D. There will be no significant changes to print or online operations. The Daily Union did cease its own printing, and that’s a big change, but it’s not one readers likely noticed. In the end, though, local print newspapers will fold, and mostly by consequence of their own mistakes.
5. For the Whitewater Schools, the biggest issue will be
A. Academic performance
B. Fiscal challenges
C. Administrative misconduct
D. Teacher misconduct
Adams’s guess: B. Fiscal challenges. Chronic budgetary uncertainty will haunt the district, as it will others nearby, despite supposed (actually overrated) legislative tools from Madison to empower local solutions.
Correct answer: B. Fiscal challenges.
6. The Whitewater University Tech Park will
A. Attract significant statewide praise
B. Attract significant statewide criticism
C. Receive no more attention than in past years
D. Attract a combination of statewide praise and criticism
Adams’s guess: D. Attract a combination of statewide praise and criticism. Different groups will see what they want to see.
Correct answer: D. Attract a combination of statewide praise and criticism. The future for WEDC-connected activities is bleak, however.
7. By 2014’s end, the amount of vacant commercial space in Whitewater will be
A. Greater than in 2013
B. The same as 2013
C. Slightly less than 2013
D. Far less than 2013
Adams’s guess: D. Far less than 2013. An improving economy will also give Whitewater’s merchants their best year in the last ten.
Correct answer: C. Slightly less than 2013.
8. The public commission that attracts the most attention in 2014 will be the
A. Planning Commission
B. Police and Fire Commission
C. Community Development Authority
D. Tech Park Board
Adams’s guess: C. Community Development Authority and D. Tech Park Board (about even between them).
Correct answer: C. Community Development Authority and D. Tech Park Board (about even between them).
9. After the spring election, Whitewater’s Common Council will be
A. A bit farther to the left
B. A bit farther to the right
C. Unchanged in ideology
D. Deeply split along ideological lines
Adams’s guess: A. A bit farther to the left. Over time, Council will grow more ideological.
Correct answer: A. A bit farther to the left. Just a bit.
10. The talked-about animal-sighting of 2014 will be
A. A coyote
B. A wolf
C. A bear
D. An aardvark
Adams’s guess: A. A coyote.
Correct answer: None of these choices.
That’s seven of ten – not bad, overall.
Tomorrow: Predictions for 2015.