November 2002

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When I hear the term,"Black Friday," I don't think shopping; I think stock market crash. In fact, until my friend Donna sent me this article from CNN that explains about retailers getting into the black from the red ink, it made no sense to me whatever that people on television were calling today Black Friday.

I think those doing the naming should have gone with, "Black Ink Friday," to make it clear what they meant. That would be a tad more conducive to shopping.

Of course, in North Carolina, most of us are trying to get in some shopping before the sales tax in many counties goes up on Sunday. The Legislature decided this would be a good way to make up for the budget shortfall, so all the counties were given permission to enact an extra half-cent tax. I'm not sure why the ones that didn't chose not to, but I'm sure their residents (and nearby shoppers) are grateful.

Unfortunately for me, the nearest one without the higher rate is so far away that shopping there would cost more in gasoline than the tax saving would be.

Yes, I see the sense in the increase. I'm thinking, though, about the people whose incomes didn't go up this year, but whose expenses most likely did. I'm not sure how I would solve the state's budget crunch. But I'm sure zinging consumers on December 1 would not have been in my plans.