Forrest Gump, the endearing movie character, made “stupid is as stupid does” a household slogan. This past week the slogan seemed, well, apropos, to say the very least.

The Fort Bend Senior Meals on Wheels Organization issued a press release in response to “charges of misapplication of funds.” Well, it would have been a more appropriate response had they been accused of misappropriating any funds. They’ve been questioned on management styles and on the possible misapplication of brain tissue when it comes to the decision to shut down services to one senior center but, as far as I know, they have not been publicly accused of any financial wrongdoing. Well, duh!

This reminds me..for the supporters of the senior citizens who have given so generously to help provide services to them, don’t let the current upheaval and controversy stop you from participating in the organization’s forthcoming fund-raiser. Despite all the questions still to be answered on the operation of the local organization, the seniors need all of the assistance they can get. I have no doubt that with everyone looking at the management issues, those will be resolved and the funds put to good use.

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The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles members who seem to be dead set and determined to give a murderer a second chance in the free world, did do an 11th hour about face and keep the creep behind bars—for the time being. I wish the legislators weren’t out on a two-year vacation because it would be nice if they would address the abject stupidity of appointing parole board members who can overturn a conviction with the swipe of a pen. If this is going to be allowed, then new legislation should stipulate that the parole board is culpable should any of these fine, well educated jewelry makers go out into society and prey on the citizens. Maybe then they would be less inclined to decide that it’s OK to release murderers, rapists and child predators back on the streets.

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The voting precinct thingy—now this is becoming really stupid. J.R. Perez, the county’s new Elections Administrator, hasn’t been in Fort Bend County very long. But, he came with outstanding credentials and years of experience, both of which I would assume is why he was chosen to do the job.

So, there he was trying to do what the county hired him to do and BAM—he finds out that regardless of the laws he is trying to comply with; regardless of the money he is trying to save taxpayers, and regardless of how many times he shows the powers that be that they really must do what is right and legal ... politics rears its ugly head. Now there are folks out there second-guessing him, firing off e-mails to the state and generally making serious nincompoops of themselves while frantically trying to change his plan. I feel sorry for him because he obviously thought he had a job to do and was apparently working real hard to do it, only to find out that the plan to bring voting precincts into compliance for the thousands of Fort Bend voters and to save somewhere in the vicinity of $300,000 for the thousands of hard-working taxpayers, is proving to be an uphill battle because of the egos of a few folks out there who think being “elected” to the position of precinct chair is something akin to being elected President of the United States. Now that is stupid.