Random thoughts in the wake of our election

With more than 220,000 distinct English words, some obsolete, you'd think it wouldn't be so taxing to write this weekly column without using the same unit of language twice.

Yet, it's challenging to compose even one sentence devoid of repetition.

Plus, sometimes copy-and-paste editing practices place similar vocabulary close together - especially during changes to curb verbosity at the filing deadline.

Already today a couple of articles and prepositions have been used more than once.

For instance, "the" has appeared two times; three if you count the first "the" in quotation marks and five when you add the ones after the semicolon. Now there are a total of seven "thes."

What's the plural of "the," anyway?

• As I ponder THE past week - especially considering how many things have not gone the way I had would have preferred in recent years - I can report that by the end of the election on Tuesday I was more pleased than not with the results in Naperville.

Though I'm no political analyst, returning all the incumbents to their seats seems to send the message that the electorate recognizes their value to serve another term.

At the same time, folks voted for other candidates who promoted a hold on spending and wage increases. Let's hold them accountable.

Further, the low voter turnout included voters who, for the most part, were not swayed by an advertising budget for a slate of school board candidates big enough to pay some teacher's salary.

Independent thinkers evidently were not influenced by colorful slick campaign mailers with sometimes misleading information about the township contest.

Thank you, voters, for adding some new balance to our local governing bodies where policies have the biggest impact on our lives.

• As I watched Thursday's Naperville park board meeting, I liked hearing that Executive Director Ray McGury is open to debate among his board of commissioners. He doesn't expect "rubber-stamp" endorsements.

As long as debate is not personal, I concur. Debate is healthy.

That's why I watch televised city council and park board meetings from home. Addressing the officials with suggestions from this side of the TV is a great way to relieve stress.

Back on topic, during the campaign, the term "rubber stamp" repeatedly was used to delineate constructive debate and questioning vs. excessive bureaucracy and uncritical thinking.

So when my curiosity got the best of me, I sought the origin of "rubber stamp."

According to my trusted Random House Dictionary of the English Language, the term originated in about 1885 to mean the "tendency to give approval automatically or routinely" to a policy without consideration or assessing its merit.

Over the years, I've served on many boards and always appreciated open discussion. Interaction helps every board member understand how other members see an issue and the unintended consequences that might not appear apparent with a rubber stamp.

Some folks call folks who question "Devil's advocates" or argumentative. If it's good public policy, it'll hold up under questioning.

• After the election, a reader wrote:

"Everyone says they want transparency.

"Everyone says they want open communication.

"Everyone says they want honest government.

"Everyone says they want a positive campaign based on the issues.

"Everyone says they want to hold down taxes.

"So why doesn't it happen?"

• During one of the Election Night "thank you" celebrations, some folks were agog when Pat Fee, a member of the Naperville Area Republican Women's Organization, mentioned the national Tax Day TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party Rally.

In Naperville, the protest against the escalating gross national debt will begin at noon today in front of city hall, 400 S. Eagle St., and likely extend to the Riverwalk.

For more information and a ticker where you can watch the debt increase in red numbers beyond $11,000,000,000,000, visit www.teapartyday.com.

If you plan to participate, come with ways to cut spending, too!

• Ever since I was a child, I've thrived on change. I especially enjoy the change of the seasons in the Midwest.

If you've been paying attention the past two years, you've likely noticed the meaning of the word "change" has been altered, diversified and shifted by campaign slogans to suggest a much more complicated world.

I'm looking for a new word to express how much I cherish the freedom of simplicity and the spice of life.

Tomorrow is another day. A trillion seconds is 32,000 years. Hot dog!