1. Breaking news: being poor may cause you to feel a little blue. According to an article in today’s Dallas Morning News: “Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine questioned 250 homeowners going through foreclosure in Philadelphia and found that 47 percent showed symptoms of depression.” If you’re unemployed and worried about money, maybe you should go after one of those “research” jobs. Seems easy enough.
2. Speaking of lack of coin, if you’re not a regular, you might be unprepared for the extra monies required when you take the North Texas Tollway. (I suspect if you have a toll tag, it doesn’t smart as much, but when you’re reaching under the seat to frantically find a wayward quarter, it leaves a mark.) Now some people are calling for a boycott to protest the rate hike, which could be bad news for the Toll Authority, as a number of drivers have already stopped using the high-cost highway.
3. And with regard to scrambling for loose change under the seat of your car, sometimes when you’re broke, you have to let other people cover the bill. That’s the lesson I’m taking from the Dallas DA’s office, which as decided that, in most cases, the local law enforcement agency should pick up the tab for crime lab tests. It’s not unusual, and it’s not particularly controversial. It just got me thinking about calling my parents to offer them the opportunity to pick up the costs for some clothing. Happy Labor Day!