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LAKE ELSINORE: Candidate not dropping the 'Dr.' from campaign materials
Amy Marie Bhutta defending doctorate issued by unaccredited school
By AARON CLAVERIE - Staff Writer | ∞
Lake Elsinore City Council candidate Amy Marie Bhutta. LAKE ELSINORE ---- City Council candidate Amy Marie Bhutta reversed herself Monday from a statement she released Friday saying she was going to reject the doctorate degree she received in 2003 from an online college, City University Los Angeles, after questions rose concerning its validity.
In campaign materials, the 39-year-old Elsinore High School teacher has touted herself as having a Ph.D. and her name is prefaced by "Dr." on her campaign signs.
"On Friday, some of my advisors strongly urged me to cut all ties with CULA and I made a statement to (The Californian and the Riverside Press-Enterprise) letting them know," she said in an e-mail to The Californian on Monday.
"Over the weekend, I met with many Lake Elsinore residents and neighbors with some in the field of education , some working professionals and others from all walks of life. They all encouraged me to continue to use my title since I had done all the work and had earned my degree regardless of the university’s accreditation."
The statement Bhutta released Friday read: "I will be removing my name from this university, severing all ties to it and rejecting their Doctorate degree. I will not have my name linked in any way shape or form with this organization. As a result, all of my hard work while earning this degree has been for naught."
Bhutta, one of 11 candidates running for three council seats, said she released that statement Friday after she found out the online university's Web site says it has been accredited by the Association of Accredited Private Schools, which is not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, a Washington, D.C.-based nongovernmental body that maintains a database of accrediting agencies.
The agency has a connection with a group that calls itself Washitaw Nation, which, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center in Alabama was founded by a woman in Louisiana who calls herself an "empress" and declares the nation to be sovereign.
Bhutta's campaign Web site had contained text saying she was proud of obtaining a "Ph.D" in 2003. The site had said the degree was certified and signed by former Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell.
"This was very exciting, especially as I have always greatly admired him and all he has done to serve our country," the site stated.
The degree in question, however, is actually a Doctor of Education degree, an Ed.D., not a Ph.D. which is the abbreviation for a Doctor of Philosophy degree, according to the copy she turned into the Lake Elsinore city clerk's office, and it was not signed by Powell.
On Monday afternoon, her Web site was changed with the reference to a "Ph.D." replaced by "doctorate" and the context for Powell's signature explained.
Bhutta said the changes were made after Powell's office asked her by e-mail to state that a document attached to the degree has Powell's signature as signed by his deputy.
"This certification was to verify the Secretary of State of California’s signature which was also attached to my degree. They informed me that this is a standard authentication process. This has been addressed on my website," she said.
In clarifying her shift, Bhutta said she is not rejecting her doctorate, but opposes the connection with with the Association of Accredited Private Schools.
According to City University's Web site, the association had been acquired in 2001 as the official accrediting agency of the Uaxashaktun Ministry of Education, a "ministry" connected with the Washitaw nation. The nation's other ministries have been accused of embezzling federal funds and issuing worthless documents, such as driver's licenses and birth certificates, the Southern Poverty Law Center's Web site states.
"There was never any mention of (City University's) current accrediting agency or I definitely would not have selected them," Bhutta wrote in an e-mail to the Californian. "It is this agency that I do not want to have any association with as I do not support them."
City University Chancellor Henry Anderson, contacted at a cell phone number listed on the school's Web site, said he no longer tries to defend the school from accusations that it is a "diploma mill."
"We've been around since 1974," he said. "The intelligent consumer knows how to filter through all that garbage."
The university's Web site lists the prerequisites for enrolling in the Doctor of Education program as a master's degree or the equivalent plus substantive experience and/or licensing in a related field of concentration.
Bhutta said it took her about year to write her dissertation, which was sent to the school multiple times to address corrections.
"I also had to take courses and CULA accepted some transfer credits from some previous coursework I had done, which as you know is not unusual. If I had completed everything with them it would have taken 2 1/2 to 3 years," she said.
On City University's Web site, the issue of accreditation is covered in part by a statement that says the university will not accept applications from those who clearly need enrollment in a "regionally accredited" school or who indicate a preference for "national" or "professional" accreditation.
Some employers, including government and academic institutions, do not accept degrees from unaccredited schools.
Talking about the difference between an Ed.D. and a Ph.D., Anderson said there is a distinct difference but the "general public" usually thinks of a Ph.D. as an academic doctorate degree as opposed to an M.D., a Doctor of Medicine degree.
On a City University-generated certification of completion provided by Bhutta, it states that she successfully completed the requirements for the "course" and was awarded the Ph.D. degree in June 2003.
On Bhutta's campaign statement, she repeats the information she used to have on her Web site, saying she is "proud to be one of the few people in the nation whose PhD has been certified and signed by former Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell."
Lake Elsinore City Clerk Vivian Munson said Monday that the sample ballot pamphlets scheduled to be mailed this week will include Bhutta's statement and that line.
Munson said the pamphlets have already been printed and Bhutta could not have altered her statement if she wanted to.
The deadline to do that was in the middle of August.
While she never received a Ph.D. and Powell's office says he didn't sign or certify the doctorate she received, Bhutta said she is confident that she did nothing to mislead voters.
Candidates face a fine of up to $1,000 if they intentionally mislead voters in their candidate statements, according to the elections code.
"I have faith in the public that they can see what the truth is," Bhutta said.
Bhutta said the questions about her educational background were initiated by her opponents, who are attempting to sling mud and divert attention away from them.
"Those who think they cannot win on their own merit resort to such tactics. With or without my doctorate, I would put my education and resume up against any of my opponents," she said.
Bhutta has said that she pursued her doctorate for her own "personal satisfaction" and she said she never claimed it was issued by a "top-notch school."
She included the doctorate on her Web site, campaign statement and signs because she felt her dissertation, which dealt with at-risk youth, was relevant to the campaign.
Also, Bhutta said, "I have not used this degree for my financial gain yet and it was never used with the school district as there was no need to use it."
School district officials confirmed that information, saying Bhutta is paid for the credits and degrees she earned before seeking her doctorate.
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Dr_No wrote on Sep 23, 2008 2:55 AM:I guess she figured that she couldn't easily remove all of the DR. headings from her mail out material, so she decided to keep it on the mailer. One excuse after another from her. Too much topsy tursvy gongs on in her head for me to vote for her.
Truth wrote on Sep 23, 2008 6:05 AM:So Colin Powell's office did sign her certification. Good article. So she was telling the truth all along. Keep using your title girl. You didn't do anything wrong!!!
Most wrote on Sep 23, 2008 6:36 AM:Why are we talking about Amy Bhutta so much? It seems to me ALL the other candidates want a piece of her. When I talk to the general public they like her, but her opponents keep picking on her. To me she is the candidate people want.
Box_Tops wrote on Sep 23, 2008 6:45 AM:She is defending her title that she earned in an unaccreditted school, must be the same vigor she used to defend her thess. I am saving my cereal box tops to send into her school so I can receive my title also.
To_Truth wrote on Sep 23, 2008 7:04 AM:Read the article again, Colin Powell never signed the degree. She did plenty wrong and keeps on doing the wrong over and over again
Kate wrote on Sep 23, 2008 7:25 AM:Clearly, Amy Bhutta is just an overly ambitious woman, using any means possible to work her way into a position of influence. She lost my vote!
Doctor Doctor wrote on Sep 23, 2008 7:44 AM:Dr. Phil doesn't have a doctor degree at all, people still think his show is
great.
Fact Check wrote on Sep 23, 2008 7:54 AM:Powells office never signed the document, it was a low ranking authentication officer in a completely different office. It is a sham! Stop the lies!
Yikes wrote on Sep 23, 2008 7:56 AM:Online degrees have always been questionable.
I just don't see an online PhD any different than what Sally Struthers use to offer.
Voice of Reason wrote on Sep 23, 2008 8:08 AM:Most people pad their resume but this is downright deceitful. She has lost all credibility just as Colin Powell has lost all credibility after his UN address claiming Iraq had weapons of mass destruction...
Yolanda wrote on Sep 23, 2008 8:27 AM:How could anyone put trust into someone like this? When confronted by two newspapers about this, rather than admit the wrongdoing and apologize, which would have been the right thing to do, she has become defiant! Is this the type of person we want on our council? It was arrogance that led her to use the fake degree, thinking people in Lake Elsinore wouldn't know the difference. We deserve better! We demand better! Mrs. Bhutta, you may have found a few people afraid to tell you to your face that you are wrong, but come Nov 4th, we will make sure you get the message loud and clear. Shame on you! We would have supported supported you through this.... What a sad day!
To most wrote on Sep 23, 2008 8:48 AM:please don't try to pretend that it is only other candidates who are raising questions about this woman. I'm sure the other candidates are paying attention to this, I would if I were running too, but my husband and I read the news everyday as do our neighbors and friends, and we too feel this is disgraceful. And please remember, it is the press is covering this story. Don't misplace your anger, or in this case, your trust.
typical wrote on Sep 23, 2008 9:17 AM:our town is known for cheap and dirty politics. Last elections, they singled out Magee and this time Amy. Keep up the good work boys! You will get her elected.
JJ wrote on Sep 23, 2008 9:41 AM:Hey, if Chiropractors can call themselves 'doctor', why not a plumber or even this chick? She might as well go 'quietly in the night' as suggested because she isn't going anywhere soon.
Lin wrote on Sep 23, 2008 9:54 AM:Pride goeth before the fall. Mrs Amy Bhutta IS FALLING HARD. Let her pretend and rationalize and attempt to feel she is convincing the public she did nothing wrong we all know better.If you were humiliated you might do the same. Im willing to give her a break but im not voting for her. When we make mistakes hopefully we learn from them and they make us a better person.Like I said before sometimes its easier to continue the lie than it is to humble ourselves. Im not perfect its hard for me to humble myself too.
Dr. Ben wrote on Sep 23, 2008 9:55 AM:Someone who doesn't know if she bought an Ed.D. or Ph.D. and didn't bother to research the institution where she got the degree doesn't inspire much trust. And when she says she wants to disassociate herself from the phony accreditation agency but not from the phony degree, she's causing herself more trouble. Lake Elsinore deserves better.
yes but wrote on Sep 23, 2008 10:03 AM:Dr. Phil isn't running for city council. Maybe Amy needs to lie down on the couch and have a chat with Dr. Phil. I think he works with a lot of delusional people.
JJ wrote on Sep 23, 2008 10:45 AM:I have a call into Austin Powers to find out if Doctor Evil really IS a doctor (we already know he is evil). I will report back as soon as I find out.
Real Yolanda wrote on Sep 23, 2008 11:41 AM:LOL. I'm one of the biggest supporters of Mrs. Bhutta. This will never change. Get Real. She didn't do anything wrong. Keep writing these comments. Are you ready? 1 2 3 boo. Don't be scared? Now get back to work!!!!!
Best wrote on Sep 23, 2008 11:45 AM:Melendez, O'Neal and Manos will win. They know how to get ahead. All three are everyone's favorite.
Austin Powers wrote on Sep 23, 2008 12:08 PM:Doctor Evil does have a real degree, he went to the University of Phoenix....
Dr. Jeff wrote on Sep 23, 2008 12:09 PM:Dr. Ben summed it all up. She new what she was buying, the fake degree. If she's going to pull this now, I don't want to see what she try's later.
Dr. Ben
[-] wrote on Sep 23, 2008 9:55 AM:
Someone who doesn't know if she bought an Ed.D. or Ph.D. and didn't bother to research the institution where she got the degree doesn't inspire much trust. And when she says she wants to disassociate herself from the phony accreditation agency but not from the phony degree, she's causing herself more trouble. Lake Elsinore deserves better.
ticked off wrote on Sep 23, 2008 1:25 PM:I see this a little differently. This is insulting to my intelligence. Does Mrs Bhutta think the residents of Elsinore are stupid? My uncle has a P.H.D. the paper he wrote was 600 pages. Mrs. Bhutta wrote a 60 page paper. Now she's trying to convince us she did nothing wrong and shes leaving her signs up. Im angry and insulted!
Ouch wrote on Sep 23, 2008 1:58 PM:I just read the NCT article, CULA's web site and her web site..... And now,I shall puke!
To ticked off wrote on Sep 23, 2008 3:03 PM:No ticked off, you see it all wrong. Ms Bhutta felt she could do it in one third the time, with 1/4 of the effort and take 100 percent credit. You know, typical politician! I'm with you, angry and insulted.
Wow wrote on Sep 23, 2008 3:53 PM:It's like the Emperor and the New Clothes! The crowd is laughing and pointing but she keeps on like nothing's wrong. And her supporters... wow. How embarrassing. Aren't there about a billion other choices besides the good Doctor? Next subject please.
Sybill wrote on Sep 23, 2008 5:03 PM:Everyone just needs to wait for the Canidate forums in the next few months. Lets see what the ALL have to offer the citizens of Lake Elsinore, then make a decision. Mrs. Bhutta isn't the only canidate with questionable credentials
if only wrote on Sep 23, 2008 5:56 PM:If only she had taken another 10 minutes of on-line courses, she could marry you too.
annoyed wrote on Sep 23, 2008 9:45 PM:I am not a resident, but my husband has a Ph.D. A lot of people with Ed.D's lie and say they have Ph.D's. That is a blatant lie and if she said she has a Ph. D you voters should really look closely at her. Also, an unaccredited school is a huge joke to real educators. She should just drop out.
Dr. Ben wrote on Sep 23, 2008 9:57 PM:Why is it that people who get the fake doctorates are always the ones who want everyone to call them "Dr."? This story is right up there with "Dr." John Gray, Mr. Mars and Venus, and his phony, mail order, unaccredited Ph.D. Mrs. Bhutta should be trying to impress voters with her ideas and not with phony credentials.
for me wrote on Sep 24, 2008 6:59 AM:This is an issue of integrity, and no, not Bhutta's, she has already shown she has none. This is about the integrity of her "supporters" or those that endorse her. Heaven forbid someone step up and say, "no, you are wrong and you can't do this."
candidate statements wrote on Sep 24, 2008 10:40 AM:will be avaialable soon, just wait...there are quite a few candidates not telling the truth. You'll see...
haha wrote on Sep 24, 2008 7:14 PM:Wow how can anybody believe her now? How can she say she didn't try to mislead the public? She should know what type of degree she obtained, its pretty simple for one to know if they got a B.A., B.S., M.S., PhD., etc... ITS ON YOUR DIPLOMA! Also on your degree is who signed it, so I don't know how she could have mistakenly not known Powell did not sign the diploma. And what in the world it City University LA? Is this like Peggy Hill and the PhD program done on cassette tapes overnight? She clearly mislead voters, especially by not explicitly stating her true degree and alma mater.
John in Elsinore wrote on Sep 25, 2008 5:35 AM:The tragedy is that the "Dr" will still appear on the ballot next to her name and most voters will not have read that it is a false degree and simply vote for her because of the perceived high education. I was impressed when I saw that she was a "Doctor" but now I am concerned that she will get elected under false pretenses. Whether or not it is a actual degree or not, it is a Ed.D not a Ph.D and she should not have called herself a doctor anyway. ... We need to stop this!
If someone calls wrote on Sep 25, 2008 8:46 AM:the county and contests the PhD on the ballot, they have to remove it...
with or without wrote on Sep 26, 2008 7:15 AM:her doctorate, she is the best candidate. There are no educational requirements to run for city council. I'll still vote for her.
No way wrote on Sep 26, 2008 5:04 PM:To "with or without" - of course you're still voting for her, she's probably a friend or family member of yours. Someone who is deceptive before getting into office doesn't change after getting in. It's not a question of education or resume anymore, now it's a question of her integrity. The people are watching and they will vote accordingly.
John from Elsinore wrote on Sep 29, 2008 3:55 AM:"No way" you make a good point. Amy's supporters keep telling us how good of a person she is and that she is a hard worker. These attributes are meaningless after she has proved her lack of integrity when dealing with her campaign. She is an educated person, and in no way could she have not been aware that her degree was a Ed.D instead of a Ph.D. Her husband Shawn Bhutta also went through the same program and refers to himself as Dr. or ends his name with Ph.D. You can Google his name and find many Lake Elsinore documents with this listed.
“Opps! I didn't know that my degree was unaccredited and not a Ph.D. Oh well, I will keep the Dr. on my campaign signs in hope that the voters don't read the newspaper or the Internet.”
To ONeal from Elsinore wrote on Sep 29, 2008 9:40 PM:Norkin,Melendez and Manos are going to win. You can't win, go ahead keep on trash talking!!!
To oneal wrote on Oct 7, 2008 11:37 AM:Im not sure whether it will be Melendez or norkin but Maghee will win for sure. Your dreaming if you think he will lose. Most likley it will be Melendez Maghee and norkin I think norkin and manos are both good but norkin knows more people and they will spread the word for him and his ideas show he cares.
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