We wish ...

The Times' New Year's wishes do not have a good history of coming true. Last year at this time, we made 27 wishes for 2007, and scored on just 2 1/2 . Then again, we realize that when we ask for things like sensible immigration reform from Congress or for the Vatican to approve the use of condoms to fight AIDS, we're only setting ourselves up for disappointment.

The victories: L.A.'s crime rate is still dropping, and officials are still arguing about why, just as we had hoped. The feds will make more airwaves available for wireless broadband services and unlicensed uses starting this month. And the half wish: Harry Potter survived, but so did Dudley Dursley, who we hoped would be deflated by a Dementor or something.

Inspired by our 2 1/2 successes, we submit our wishes for 2008 (admittedly, a few are recycled because we still want them so badly), topped as usual by a wish that we end up with a better record this year than last.

We wish ...

For the Dodgers to avoid another late-season collapse.

For L.A. officials to stop kowtowing to NIMBYs and take steps toward moving the dangerous parallel runways on LAX's north airfield farther apart.

For one blessed year without a celebrity trial.

For Congress to approve a global warming bill that requires an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050.

For a la carte cable TV.

For more states, including California, to follow New Jersey's lead in eliminating the death penalty.

For the governments of the city and county of Los Angeles to work together seamlessly to end homelessness.

For a cheap and easy way to get video from the Internet to a TV set.

For a soft landing for the housing market that allows property values to settle at more reasonable levels without setting off hundreds of thousands of foreclosures. While we're at it, we'd like to see an end to borrowers obtaining mortgages without submitting any proof of their ability to repay them, and a vastly simplified disclosure form from lenders telling borrowers how large their payments are likely to be over the course of the loan.

Though it's doubtless deeply wrong from both an animal and human rights perspective, for Reggie the alligator to escape again.

For an all-news TV channel that really is all news and not a series of monologues by blowhards.

For political pundits to wait until 2009 to start handicapping the 2012 presidential race.