2008 Predictions Recap

Last year we made a series of predictions for 2008 (actually I was busy so I outsourced them; I won't do that again).  For the most part, we were completely wrong.  So it's time to review our annual set of predictions just before we make our series of prognostications for 2009.

The historic San Pedro Red Car line will be extended to downtown Los Angeles.

A silly prediction and it didn't happen. However the Los Angeles Harbor Commission, the agency that oversees the Red Car line received a report in November of this year that, among other things, proposes extending the Trolley to Downtown San Pedro.

The City of La Canada-Flintridge will find that Los Angeles County is holding a $255,088 check for them.

Don't know. But LCF paid LA County about $70K for various infrastructure related activities in 2008.

Former California GOP Chairman Shawn Steel will fall flat on his face in his election bid for the Republican National Committee.

Well that sure didn't happen - Steel was chosen as a Republican National Committeeeman by a landslide victory.

For the third election cycle in a row, LA County GOP Chairman Linda Boyd will fail to keep her promise to field a Republican candidate in every Legislative and Congressional district in Los Angeles County.

Not hard to predict and it came true; more importantly Boyd's long reign of terror over the local Republican party came to an end just a few weeks ago.

Alan Rothenberg will get his wish fulfilled of being appointed to the Coliseum Commission.

Nope. But developer/rainmaker Rick Caruso decided not to run for Mayor of Los Angeles but got appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger to the body that manages the Coliseum.

Bernard Parks will be elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Parks' strong opposition to LAX expansion will be a key component to his victory.

Uh, yea, oops. Hey at least Bernie's on the Coliseum Commission!

Businesswoman Noel Irwin Hentschel will run for Mayor of Los Angeles in 2009.

Whose idea was this?

Due to the state budget crisis, the California High Speed Rail Bond Act will be deferred from the ballot for the third consecutive election cycle.

Though the economy got even worse than expected, voters opened the floodgates of public money to pay for more choo-choos.

Voters will overwhelmingly reject the universal health care plan.

It didn't even get to voters; the legislature sacked it early in the year.  But wait, health care DMV style could still be coming your way.

Opposition to Indian gaming Propositions 94, 95, 96 and 97 will come from an unlikely source- Indians who have been disenrolled from gaming tribes. Opposition funding will come from out-of-state casinos.

The most significant opposition to the four companion ballot measures that benefited a coalition of tribes that run casinos came from smaller gaming tribes, labor unions and Hollywood Park and Bay Meadows racetracks.  Voters approved all four measures in the February primary election.

Now here's your chance to be a prognosticator.  Use the form below to make your own predictions about local politics, politicians, celebrities or anything else of interest to Mayor Sam readers. Your responses can be anonymous.  The best ones will be used in an upcoming article.