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By Anjeanette Damon (contact) 
Sunday, March 6, 2011 | 2 a.m.
Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas
State Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas, often credits education as his pathway out of a turbulent youth.
He was shuttled from school to school as a child. His mother was addicted to drugs. His father was killed in a drug incident.
He worked during college to help support his younger siblings.
Although Horsford sees a college degree as a way out of a violent life, he has so far fallen short of obtaining his. Yet he’s done little to dispel the appearance that he is a graduate of UNR.
When asked directly, he acknowledges he attended the university and hasn’t earned a degree. He’s still working to earn his final credits.
Horsford’s campaign website and his biography on the legislative website do not credit him with a bachelor’s degree.
But a number of stories in Reno and Las Vegas newspapers about his life and his campaigns incorrectly state he has his bachelor’s degree in political science and communications.
A biography on the Nevada Senate Democratic Caucus website also said he “graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a degree in Political Science and Communications.”
Horsford admitted he didn’t seek to clear up the record about his education.
“I have been very careful to be clear that I attended the university,” he said. “If I had to correct every report that was out there, I would spend most of my time making those corrections. But I have always tried to be extremely careful and sensitive to the fact I attended the university, but did not earn all the credits I needed to graduate.”
As for the bio on his caucus’ website, Horsford said he doubts he “even reviewed it or put it together.” He said he would correct the information. His staff had taken down the site a day after an interview with the Las Vegas Sun.
...this is an oversight we should perhaps overlook. I mean, the committment of Horsford to public service in the end may earn him an honorary degree on the one hand. While when dealing with politicians in this state the standard is that anything less than outright theft should be accepted? It's a starting point, this story. Let's just see if the gentlman's interest lean toward his rhetoric. (to date they have) While relatedly is a cultural platform that university may not speak to in order to assist the most vulnerable? That is, the talk of Liberals taking over campuses is shown now to mean budget cuts from those claiming they wanted to educate? Yea, there may be other factors upon this institutions path, mitigating circumstances; let's not judge too harshly! Thanks!
@ till: Good Grief what did you just say? You should have edited your comments for clarity.
I will say that Senator Horsford is one of the better statesmen to ever come through the Nevada Legislature. He has great political as well as practical skill. I know that his heart is in the right place as far as the people of Nevada are concerned.
Republican Senator Halseth claimed to a reporter that she had an education degree she did not have-that is a lie and she should be held accountable when she is up for re-election in 2014.
The bio on the Nevada Senate Democratic Caucus website, while not a statement directly from Democratic Senator Steven Horsford, is also a lie, because the NSDC surely knows about the education level of the Speaker of the Assembly. Citizens interested in this issue should contact Sen. Horsford at his legislative email address, shorsford@sen.state.nv.us.
I would like to know more about who knew what, and when regarding the NSDC and Horsford's educational background. I hope the Sun performs more investigative reporting on this issue, since the RJ fired all their investigative reporters-which does beg the question that if you fire your investigative reporters, wouldn't that mean that you fired ALL your reporters? Hmmm, Stephens Media?
Oh, who cares. A degree doesn't guarantee honesty or ethics, or intelligence either.
Our society places too much emphasis on a college degree. I'd much prefer to have someone with life skills and experience in office.
Abraham Lincoln never graduated from a College or University either. He studied law on his own and took the exams.
FROM WIKIPEDIA:
"Lincoln's formal education consisted of approximately 18 months of classes from several itinerant teachers; he was mostly self-educated and was an avid reader."
Just as important, Lincoln never associated himself with any religion, which made him the most competent, ethical and moral President America has had. Play it again, Uncle Sam.
This is a big so what story? It has nothing to do with the issues before Nevada nor does it have anything to do with Senator Horsford's position on any particular issue.
I think SunJon's comment are more relavant.
This story shines a bright light on a key, seldom-exposed reason why higher education in Nevada has no strong public constituency. And contrary to what one commenter asserted, it has EVERYTHING to do with the issues before Nevada. Many of Nevada's elected leaders are uneducated. And others, along with the rest population, including many in the state assembly, are either sullenly antagonistic or outright hostile to higher education. Just look at the comments in this thread, "... 'oh who cares', ... 'Lincoln never graduated', and my favorite .... 'so what". If you think you can transform this fiscal wreck of state into a economically diversified, high quality of life place with these attitudes, you are mistaken. Out-of-state business takes one look at the ignoramus Nevada leadership and its pitchfork wielding serfs and runs the other way.
Of course, to leftists, whatever sleaze Dumbocrats get into is sluffed off as "unimportant." They can have sex in the Oval Office, cheat on their wives or taxes, even kill (see: Ted "Lady Killer" Kennedy) and be excused from any blame or responsibility. Whorsford parks in handicapped spaces, lies about his resume and it's no big deal since he is one of the tax & spend crowd.
If I were a politician I would google my name and review all bios that are out there and clear up any misinformation before it becomes a scandal ..
So, Anjeanette Damon, what is your point?
Why did the majority leader never graduate?
Didn't Horsford attend UNR on a football scholarship? How do you not graduate when getting a free education?
This is sloppy RJ work.
Free education = not graduating?
hey anjeanette...
here's a story for you...
find out if slick greasy slimy big toothed phony smiling huckster brian sandoval...
find out if this coward and fraud got any financial aid from his high school, college or law school...
inquiring minds want to know...
big frickin deal...
i have more damn respect for horsford than i do for somebody like w the maggot...
horsford had to deal with life...
w the maggot was handed absolutely everything...
a snot nosed spoiled rich kid who did absolutely nothing in life but ride daddy's coat tails all the way to washington to fight for other snot nosed spoiled rich kids...
there is no nobility in that...
none...
that's for damn sure...
the real story here is...
how slick greasy slimy big toothed phony smiling huckster brian sandoval...
how this coward and fraud...
went to unr...
was the beneficiary of a state subsidized public education...
how this coward and fraud now wants to destroy it...
that's the real story...
not that horsford had to deal with the cards he was dealt...
mental midget; pimp for public unions
LOL. He should be governor that would be the ultimate insult to Nevadans.
...wow! what is it with this blog, which is shorthand communication even on issues of depth, that has people pumping themselves up over finding clerical errors? (by gaskin, sorry I didn't edit. but do you realize accepting apolgies isn't the impression u give off?)
Horsford is proof that you don't have to be educated OR intelligent to spend $70 MILLION in taxpayer money for the D Street underpass so that "his people will not be cut off from the center of downtown".
Good reporting.
But as stated, tax and spend liberal dems get a pass on all things involving lack of ethics.
I applaud Mr. Horsford for being a stand up man and caring for his family. He should be held as an example to others.
In the ecnomic times in which we find ourselves, families need to turn to each other and Not to the government. The government cannot be all things to all people.
Once again a double standard.
If Horsford had a R next to his name instead of a D, he'd be crucified in the press and in these message boards.
Why no mention of his total lack of moral qualms about parking in a handicap spot for several hours while he attended a sporting event? He thinks he's above the law and I wonder who taught him that.
And I'm a godless liberal, but my rights end where others start!
At least the guy can claim that he is a high school graduate. He is really not a very smart individual in spite of the fact that he never finished college. There are a lot of very bright people out there who never graduated high school or college. Horsford is not one of them.
This is not news. Senator Horsford has not misrepresented his credentials. I am not sure it is his job to seek out every single instance where people have not represented his credentials correctly.
Further, his experience is consistent with the experience of many people.
I hope when he has a chance he finishes up. That would be a great story.
Gotta love that last paragraph,..."Horsford DOUBTS he reviewed it or put it together" Doubts? He doesn't know? Hmmm.
To lvfacts101: Yeah. I wonder why Charlie Rangel isn't looking at the world through bars for his tax evasion crimes.
Hey RobRBarron,
What do you say about Christian Republican state Senator Halseth lying about her education credentials???
As an independent conservative, I have to lean in defense of this individual however. I take issue as to even why this article was even published at all. These pieces of paper we call "Degrees" (I have one) are worthless without hindsight and common sense of the persons holding them. That being said, I have more respect for an under-graduate who's productive and trying rather than a Degree holder shielding themselves behind their Degrees. When asked, "How much education to you have?", I reply, "I have 66 years of education".
Without a four year degree, Lincoln stopped the second American Civil War by building the Transcontinental Railroad. Had the West Coast been allowed to 'drift' without strong links to the East, it would have soon declared it's independence. California began as a 'Republic' and wasn't ready to take orders from Washington.
Of the four people who built the Union Pacific, Leland Stanford, Collis Huntington, Charles Croker and Mark Hopkins, only Standford studied Law while bypassing a four year Bachelor's degree. None of the other three had a Bachelor's degree or higher.
Education is what you learn, not what is hung on the wall.
SunJon,
Just as Dan Quayle wasn't JFK, Horsford AIN'T Lincoln.
Horsford isn't qualified to carry water for Lincoln.
The only education you have to have in Nevada politics is the ability to hold your hand out and accept the cash. I love the Abe Lincoln stories. Really great stuff..what year is it?? Yes, let's not learn from our mistakes and compare ourselves to 200 years ago. Politics and corruption have been married for thousands of years, when does that change?
I absolutely believe it is possible that he never reviewed or put the bio together. Most executives don't handle that sort of thing; someone on their staff does.
Since he has never verbally claimed to be a graduate, it seems kind of silly that he would try to slip in a lie in print, on a website that's not even his. Yes, I realize he's the head of the caucus but still, it's not his personal website.
As for the misinformation appearing in newspaper stories, gee, what a shock. That NEVER happens.
Hey, I let taxpayers subsidize my college education and didn't graduate, so I want to put more money into the system for others to do the same!
Thank goodness there were no handicap parking spaces back when Lincoln was President.