County Assessor Tom Baenen’s attempts (News-Times, Dec. 12) to justify his actions against Island County’s land owners on the basis of increased property values in recent years are brazen and far from the truth.

We have, over the course of the last ten years, steadily dropped the sale price of a piece of property we own; it is now, and has been, priced well below the assessed value and is still on the market.

Mr. Baenen’s attempts to beat the pending 1 percent annual increase reduction are obvious and, in my opinion, unethical. I will remember this when the next election occurs and rather suspect others will also.

Jack Christiansen lives in Coupeville.