The Stranger kicks off every January by identifying
local trends and people we think will be toast in the coming
months.
Our powers of precognition were pretty uncanny last time out. We
predicted bad endings for David Della, the Sonics deal in Olympia,
state GOP chair Diane Tebelius, and the $7 billion roads package. We
also predicted that State Senator Margarita Prentice would draw a
progressive challenger from her own party. Check. Check. Check.
Check. And check.
We weren’t quite right about Tim Eyman, though. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
And fuck. Here’s our list of whose 15 minutes is
up in
2008:
The Office of Professional Accountability. The city office
responsible for investigating police misconduct is incapable of
disciplining wayward officers. There’ll be a lot of talk about reform
in 2008, but angry citizens will circumvent the OPA and bring a
parade of civil rights lawsuits against the SPD to get
results.
“Governance Reform.” The trendy idea of fitting Sound Transit
into a larger regional transportation agency will lose steam, running
into the constraints of a short legislative session and a demand for
light-rail expansion.
Seattle’s Immunity to the Housing Slump. Headlines have
proclaimed Seattle immune to the housing crisis that has plagued the
rest of the country. Not
anymore. Seattle’s bubble is due to
burst in 2008.
Reporters. Watch for serious layoffs at the Seattle
Times.
Port Reform. A harsh state audit, a CEO severance scandal,
and a throw-the-bums-out election made 2007 the year “port reform”
gained momentum. However, the $500 million agency will get lost in
picayune turf battles with the city and the county in
2008—and the pressing issue of accountability will fade once
again.
Teen Pregnancy. Thanks to a medically
accurate,
comprehensive sex education bill passed in Olympia last year,
we’ve
lost federal funding for abstinence-only education. Expect
teen pregnancy rates
to plummet. 
