Dear Editor: This January will mark the 39th year of purchasing license plates and or decals for my personal vehicles. From 1970 until this week, I can honestly say that the value of any particular car or truck has never increased. I have bought tags in DeKalb, Rockdale, and for the past nine years, Newton. Not this year. Even though the millage rate is the same as last year, the ad valorem tax increased by $11.07, and thusly a cost increase for the 2010 decal. We stopped by the tag office today for an explanation. The lady on duty was helpful and informative with the memo, given to her by her superiors, pertaining to this very subject. It seems that my nine year old Suburban, with a dent in the quarter panel that I can't afford to have fixed, is a hot commodity and has actually increased in value. It seems that the value is directly proportional to the price of gasoline. I assure you this is what we were told. This is the same vehicle that our federal government declared was a "clunker" just two months ago. This reasoning from the tag office, for lack of a better word, is full of clunk. Who knows, if this trend continues, I may be able to sell the car for a profit. I can't wait until we get our property tax bill and see how much the value of our house has appreciated. The hollow promises of just one year ago from our tax commissioner during her re-election campaign are exactly that, hollow promises. What ever happened to honest and open government, especially at the local level.