Gomers: What's going wrong

DELAY: The final Cedar Rapids open houses to gather public feedback on the future of major flood-damaged city buildings were supposed to be early this month. But city officials have postponed them until Nov. 17, saying they need to fine tune the information they will present about several options. As justified as the delay may be, the postponement until after the Nov. 3 city election naturally raises suspicions among some residents.

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TIME SQUEEZE: The short window from the Linn County supervisors' Sept. 2 approval of tax abatement - for flood victims who lost the use of their property - until the Oct. 1 application deadline may have left many eligible people out in the cold. Some county officials say it didn't allow time to contact people to be sure they knew the application process.

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MORE PROBLEMS: City, county and state officials all seem to agree with some residents that conditions in the rural Regency Mobile Home Park just south of Iowa City are again unacceptable three years after management, under pressure from the city, cleaned up things. Poor water quality, abandoned homes and piles of debris are the latest complaints.