Homers -- What's going right

BETTER PROCESS: We applaud the Cedar Rapids City Council's decision to approve grants from the city's hotel-motel tax to non-profit cultural, educational and arts organizations for a three-year period instead of the usual annual process. It provides some stability and reduces the time and expense groups have to spend writing proposals and for the city to review.

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CAUCUS IMPROVEMENTS: It's good to see the state Republican Party's review committee make some solid recommendations for improving the counting/verification process for the Iowa Caucus. The confusion surrounding the winner of the 2012 event tarnished our state's image and put at risk Iowa's first-in-the-nation status on the presidential election trail. The GOP's Straw Poll, which precedes the caucus in August, also needs to go because it's mostly for media exposure.

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SMART CARDS: The University of Iowa and other institutions in Iowa are incorporating many functions into “one-stop” ID cards for students. With a swipe, students not only can pay for food and laundry fees, they can check out library books, get into athletic events and access campus buildings where security checks are required.