Mom's the Word

It would have been odd if Tarafder had made such a suggestion, since he had never passed anything to Lupher before, and his doing so would have been outside the standard procedure. Tactfully, Tarafder says he doesn't remember saying that to Huey. "I thought I said, 'I'm going to talk to Herbert Lum,' " Tarafder says, referring to his immediate supervisor.

Another person who could possibly shed light on the issue, Jimmie Schindewolf, did not return phone calls from the Press.

Huey, whose mayoral aspirations are no secret, says she did not aid and abet her son's efforts -- appearances to the contrary.

"It's not fair for me to be accused of seeking some kind of favored treatment, when in fact, if anything, I actually discriminated against him because he was my son. In his case, I let it rock and roll for weeks [before placing any calls] because I was afraid if this office did anything, I would be accused of using this office. I've never done that; I never will do that."

This isn't the first time that Huey's name has surfaced in connection with alleged inappropriate influence over the city's permitting and inspection process. In 1994, the Press reported that Huey's name had appeared on a couple of computerized city documents related to a controversial apartment complex in her district. "CMHH [Council Member Helen Huey] approval required for permits," said one note, though only the chief building inspector had that particular approval authority.

In that instance, Huey denied having any authority over the approval and termed the note "totally erroneous." She suggested that whoever put the note in the computer should be disciplined.

If she's consistent, perhaps Mark Lupher should be looking over his shoulder for a while.