Among differences expressed by village board president candidates Anan Abu-Taleb and John Hedges at the March 1 forum at the Carleton Hotel was to what extent villagers are keyed into village-government matters.

Very little, says Abu-Taleb, who speaks of “disengagement of citizens from the governing process” as a major issue and wants to “bring people to the table.” (He’s a restaurateur, is he not?) He would be “a face for Oak Park,” engaging citizens in various ways, including in a monthly “open forum.”

To this Hedges played the (strong) commission card, in fact 26 of them, consisting of volunteers in many areas of public interest including issues to be voted on by trustees. They are almost all advisory — zoning has its own authority, to name one — and turn up periodically on board agenda, where they have their say as privileged sitters at a figurative board table, whether ignored…