Lying With Confidence

Guest post from Sheila Matthers.

​On Friday, January 24th, I attended Jared Huffman’s Town Hall Meeting in Point Reyes.  I’ve been watching Huffman more closely over the last year so I was somewhat prepared for what I would hear, but one part in particular sticks out in my mind.

At one Point Mr. Huffman began speaking about the future of ranching in the national seashore and stated that he’s been “looking closely at the legislation” and that it “clearly states ranching was meant to continue in the seashore”.   Someone in the audience asked a follow up question, “Mr. Huffman, could you please tell us where it says that and exactly what it says?”

As I anticipated, he did not have that answer, but instead backpedaled into another topic.  In both business and politics the technique Mr. Huffman had demonstrated is called, “Lying with confidence.”  He sounded like he’d done his research and that he knew what he was talking about, and most ears in the audience would hungrily accept whatever he had to say as long as he said it confidently, but luckily one person knew enough to ask a specific question...a question he couldn’t answer about the very thing he just finished claiming to know about.

There’s a good reason he couldn’t answer it.  Because the part of the legislation that says ranching is meant to continue in the seashore doesn’t exist.  I repeat, it does not exist. Instead we have had years of attempts to CHANGE the legislation to say what the ranching community wants it to say.  If the legislation already “clearly stated” that ranching was meant to remain in the seashore forever why would it be necessary for pro-ranching lobbyists to attempt to amend that same legislation?

What the original legislation DOES spell out is that the leases that were granted as part of the purchase deal had an expiration date.  The legislation also states that the purpose of forming the seashore was to preserve and restore the area to its natural state and to protect it from anything that will harm that state. 

Politics, amendments, and confident lying aside, we can also use basic common sense.  Below I present to you two scenarios and a simple question. Which scenario represents the real world and which one is a fantasy?

1. Someone comes to you and gives you millions of dollars for your land.  You accept the money and leave.

 

1. Someone comes to you and gives you millions of dollars for your land. You keep the money and the land that you just received the money for.

​#Huffman #JaredHuffman #liar #ranching #environment #pointreyes