To the editor:

I read “the housing report” in Wednesday’s Record and have some thoughts about it. Quote, “The South End was the bright spot in Island County, to be sure.” That was said because the median price of closed sales in the south end went up rather than down. Is that a bright spot? Yes, for real estate agents, sure. But what does it really mean?

For those of us who plan to sell our houses, it means we get more money. For those of us who do not plan to sell our houses, it means we pay more taxes. We bought our land (five acres) in 1979 for $16,000. Our recent tax statement says it is assessed at $230,000, so if we sell, we can make a lot of money, supposedly. Of course, our money is worth a lot less than it was in 1979.

As inflation happens, 3 percent or more per year, the flip side is the dollar loses value by that amount. National money systems are set up so that currency weakens continuously, and most economists think that’s great. If the stock market does not go up, or if gross national product does not go up, they say things are going badly. What they are saying is, if we don’t have continuous inflation, that’s bad. Is it? I don’t think so.

That’s why I like the idea of an alternative currency for Whidbey Island, as it will not be tied to the U.S. dollar and therefore will not weaken over time. It’s coming!

Duke LeBaron

Langley