Gomers

PAYING TOO MUCH:

A report by the U.S. Postal Service's inspector general notes the Iowa City Post Office has paid significantly more overtime than federal guidelines recommend. The facility is understaffed, the reported noted, dealing with increased volume and has had lax management oversight. Overtime was 13.9 percent of the facility's total work hours during fiscal year 2013. Guidelines calls for 5.6 percent, and the national average is 9.3 percent.

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EDUCATING, NOT ACTIVATING:

Iowa Secretary of State candidates Paul Pate (Republican) and Brad Anderson (Democrat) are hoping to get more teens interested in voting, but neither is making lowered voting age a priority. In recent Scottish independence elections, about 80 percent of teens as young as 16 cast a ballot.

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INCREASED POVERTY:

More Iowans earn less and live in poverty than at the start of the recession in 2007. Six years ago, an estimated 11 percent of residents were at or below the poverty level, according the U.S. Census Bureau. Statistics out this week show 12.7 percent of Iowans were at that level in 2013. For individuals, this means an annual income of $12,000 or less.