Homers: What's going right

PAINFUL BUT RIGHT: The Linn County supervisors increased already formidable financial challenges for the county and other local government entities when they voted to offer abatements on property taxes for flood victims for the months they were unable to use their homes or businesses. But it's a short-term measure and was the right thing to do for residents struggling to recover from their nightmare.

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INCENTIVES WORK: Getting people to break a habit is never easy. For example, plastic bags, have been a mainstay of shoppers and stores for decades. But two organizations are using creative strategies to help people break the habit. Plato's Closet offers $10 in store credit for customers who pass on the plastic. And the county's solid waste agency is offering a reusable shopping bag to anyone who signs a plastic bag and adds it to the agency's Pledge Tree, which is placed in various locations. Both innovators report strong response so far.

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OPPORTUNITY: A federal Jumpstart disaster assistance program that provides six months free rent, up to $50,000, for anyone who opens a business in a building that was flooded has helped several entrepreneurs open new shops, restaurants and used-car lots in downtown Cedar Rapids and nearby Czech Village, all heavily damaged in last year's calamity. A fitness center and more businesses are expected this fall.