HEY COUNTY ASSESSOR — THIS ONE’S FOR YOU. Let’s call this what it is. I’m being taxed on money I never made. Think about that. I bought my property in 2012 for $60,000. Now the county claims it’s worth $306,000. Did I sell it? No. Did I realize a profit? No. Did I receive a $306,000 check? Not even close. But my tax bill? That went up like I did. That’s the problem. This isn’t income. This isn’t cash. This is a number someone wrote down on paper — and now I’m expected to pay real money because of it. If my stock portfolio doubles, I don’t owe taxes until I sell. If my paycheck doesn’t increase, I don’t suddenly owe more income tax. So why is housing treated differently? Why am I being taxed on unrealized gains? A home isn’t just an asset on a spreadsheet — it’s where people live. And under this system, you can do everything “right,” pay off your house, and still get squeezed harder every year based on a theoretical value you never turned into cash. That’s not ownership. That’s renting from the government with extra steps. And spare me the talking points about “services” and “inflation.” This is about being billed for value you never received. People are waking up to it.