The Washington Post has a good primer on what it’s like to be poor. Even if the people profiled aren’t blameless, it’s galling to read about the hoops and hassles that are a constant presence in their lives.

“The poor pay more for a gallon of milk; they pay more on a capital basis for inferior housing,” says Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.). “The poor and 100 million who are struggling for the middle class actually end up paying more for transportation, for housing, for health care, for mortgages. They get steered to subprime lending. . . . The poor pay more for things middle-class America takes for granted.”

Most frustrating are the cash-checking businesses and payday loan suppliers. Maybe banks can use some of the bailout money they received to set up instant checking accounts for poor customers.