Just before the election, I understand that Village President Anan Abu-Taleb announced the candidates he supported for election.
Not unusual. Village presidents always back slates or individual candidates for seats on the Oak Park Village Board.
What was unusual this time was that Abu-Taleb told who he thought should be elected to the boards of the park district, Elementary School District 97 and Oak Park-River Forest High School.
The village president’s announcement might have raised some eyebrows since these boards are separate and deal with separate facets of Oak Park life. Also, the village president interjecting himself into other governmental elections could create an appearance of coziness with some candidates, animosity to others. This could make cooperation difficult those times when the various boards had to work together.
It’s one village, Abu-Taleb would counter. As village president he has a responsibility to give his voice to improving Oak Park.
There is a logic to this point of view. And it occurs to me that if it is worthwhile knowing the village president’s opinion on matters of recreation and primary and secondary education, we might all profit from his views on other matters:
There’s so much on TV to choose from these days, what should I watch tonight, Mr. Abu-Taleb?
Anything good at he movies this weekend, Mr. Abu-Taleb?
But of even more value …
We all have relationship problems in our lives. And we all could use some helpful advice, an unbiased opinion. Suppose the village president had an advice column in each village newsletter. We Oak Parkers could write in, tell the village president our problems and he could write his opinion about what best to do.
The column could be called Dear Anan.
“Dear Anan:
“My wife and I have been married for six years. Lately, I noticed the spark has gone out of our relationship in the romance department. My sister says I should watch less sports and lose some of the 140 pounds I gained since we got married. I think my wife has some kind of female problem. What do you think? I also got a parking ticket over on Oak Park Avenue even though the meter was broken. Can you help?
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“Anxious Oak Parker”