1-1 New Year's Predictions

By JAY MILLER
Syndicated Columnist
SANTA FE -- Happy 2007. Many signs point toward it being a good year. Herewith are some of those signs.
There will be no congressional elections this year and no campaign ads to offend your ears and your sensibilities.
El Nino will bring us plenty of snow, filling our lakes and reservoirs. Most communities will ration water anyway.
Our biggest snow will be on January 16, opening day of the Legislature. Gov. Bill Richardson will be confined to New Mexico all day.
Gasoline prices in Santa Fe will drop on opening day of the session, preventing lawmakers from asking why prices are so much higher than back home.
Significant ethics reform legislation will be introduced amid much fanfare -- and forgotten during the next 59 days.
Despite predictions to the contrary, a comet will not devastate the Earth in February -- or March.
Santa Fe gasoline prices will return to normal on March 17 -- not because it is St. Patrick's Day.
The Legislature will spend close to a billion dollars on pork projects.
Due to prior commitments, Gov. Richardson will not call a special session of the Legislature.
A state government scandal involving top Democrats will be exposed by a Republican U.S. attorney.
In a broadly contested race, Dr. J.R. Damron will be elected chairman of the state Republican Party.
Someone will discover a Nostradamus prophesy that World War III will begin in 2007.
Bill Richardson will embark on a worldwide tour to bring Peace on Earth.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will begin to fade in popularity among Democrats before the end of the year.
A slimmed-down New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will return from his world tour and emerge as the Democrats' presidential frontrunner.
It will become evident that Sen. John McCain and former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani will not be able to win the Republican presidential nomination.
John Dendahl will suddenly appear from nowhere to become the GOP presidential favorite.
Democrats will declare that New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici was secretly behind the Dendahl conspiracy.
Bill Richardson will predict that he will carry every state but Rhode Island in 2008.
Former 1st Congressional District candidate Patricia Madrid will not have another Southwest Airlines "Wanna Get Away" moment.
Manny Aragon will turn up in the news somewhere.
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico will change its name to Virgin Galactica, New Mexico. Sir Richard Branson will attend the town's annual fiestas.
New Mexico's $420,000 world-class Peace Conference will not be entirely peaceful.
Billy the Kid's grave will not be located in Texas -- or Arizona.
New Mexico will not be awarded a National Football League franchise.
U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson will not enroll in charm school.
Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld will return to retirement in New Mexico.
The state of New Mexico will begin preparation of its entry in the 2008 Rose Parade with a float depicting President Bill Richardson sitting in the Oval Office.
MON, 1-01-07

JAY MILLER, 3 La Tusa, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(ph) 982-2723, (fax) 984-0982, (e-mail) insidethecapitol@hotmail.com