A scrap of paper on the floor of a corridor read as follows:

MONTHLY

Rent: $1680

Insurance: $145

Cable: $145

Gas: $70

Pepco: $80

Credit cards: $210        Total $2,680 or $2,700

Food: $200

Gas: $150

It’s obviously the napkin math of someone worried about money. Given that it was found in Washington, D.C., it’s reasonable to conclude it was dropped by a furloughed government employee.

The despair behind the note is palpable. One doesn’t write down such costs unless meeting them is a challenge. It’s easy to imagine the unknown author dropping the paper, raising their hands to the ceiling, and plaintively screaming, “What am I going to do???”

It’s a timely reminder that these are real people with real problems, and they need help.

And poor Trump cannot play golf!