Gomers: What's going wrong

BAH, HUMBUG: Talk about rubbing salt into the Christmas spirit of giving. Someone stole dozens of cleaned deer hides, preserved with salt, from the Elks Lodge in Cedar Rapids last week. The Elks planned to ship them to a factory where they are made into leather, which is given to veterans in Iowa who are recovering from surgery. Veterans turn the leather into various items, including specialized gloves for veterans in wheelchairs.

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BAH, WEATHER: The Christmas week weather outside was frightful. What a dismal mix of rain, sleet, freezing rain and snow. We hope most Iowans played it smart on the roads or stayed home - and still managed to mark the holiday in ways delightful.

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HURTING: The problem with across-the-board cuts to government programs is that some of the most vulnerable Iowans lose critical services. That may be the case with state assistance to counties for mental health services. In Linn and Johnson counties, more than 200 mentally ill residents may lose support for treatment, medication and vocational training - pretty much everything they need to cope - depending on how the mandate plays out.