WATCH the video.

A questionable headline in the Maryland Independent, “Tieger Outburst Kills Discussion at Planning Commission,” motivated We Make It News to produce a video to highlight some of the key issues behind Planning Commission member Joe Tieger’s recent comments.

Even though there’s an avalanche of studies that support the thrust of what Tieger said – that residential growth doesn’t pay for itself in terms of producing enough tax revenue to cover the cost of expensive infrastructure for new housing in our rural areas – the “Independent,” in its news coverage, seems to imply that this kind of information is suspect.

That’s unfortunate, because the problems facing Charles County are enormous and the citizens deserve better than the antiquated way our government has approached planning and growth for the past 50-plus years. And when Tieger, an attorney and former official with both the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, speaks out on growth issues facing the county, his opinion should be more carefully examined before being labeled as a mere assertion.

Video and audio pieces for We Make It News are produced by Tobin Communications.