Gomers: What's going wrong

By The Gazette Editorial Board

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MORE POVERTY, FEWER STUDENTS: The percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced-price school lunches - an official indicator of poverty - keeps increasing in the Cedar Rapids district. This school year, 44.5 percent qualified; in 2001-02, it was 27.6 percent. For just the elementary students, 50.2 percent are in the program, compared to 33.7 percent nine years ago. The district's total enrollment continues to decline, from 17,366 in 2001-02 to 16,065 this year.

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FUEL PRICES: Some experts say the return of $3 gas and expectations for rising oil prices through much of this year will make higher-cost alternative fuels more attractive. But corn prices shot well past $6 a bushel last week and are expected to keep climbing in the near future. Most ethanol produced is corn-based, so even with subsidies, ethanol won't likely offer much relief at the pump anytime soon.

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GUNNED DOWN: It's been illegal to shoot rare white deer in Iowa since the 1980s. They're more visible than the typical deer and, thus, more vulnerable to predators. Sadly, a white deer was shot in Jakway Park near Aurora on Jan. 9. So far, no one's been charged (as of this weekend).