The Insider

Huey is a Calame friend of long standing. As a school trustee, she supported the firm's collection contract with the Spring Branch ISD, and she later championed Calame to collect delinquencies for the city against a Council majority that included none other than Vince Ryan. Calame eventually won the city contract after Ryan came around.

While Ryan acknowledges that the Calame connection is one reason for his support of Huey, he also lauds her as one of the few straight shooters on Council who could be counted on to keep her word.

"And I'll tell you," he confides, "there weren't very many like that."

Give a Dog a Bone ...
Controller Lloyd Kelley would seem to be ripe for an electoral challenge this year, judging by the ill feelings he's generated with some of his antics and the strong showing against him by no-name opponents two years ago. Some activists have been encouraging term-limited Councilman Judson Robinson III to make the race against Kelley, but Mayor Bob Lanier and his inner circle seem quite happy to let the lapdog snooze on.

The mayor and first lady Elyse were on hand this week as Port Commission chairman Ned Holmes and his wife hosted a fundraiser for Kelley at the couple's River Oaks abode. Joining them were most of the Lanier camp followers, including Billy Burge, Joe B. Allen, Jim Edmonds and Kenny Friedman.

Since Kelley is rumored to be looking for a statewide or federal post to run for next year, perhaps Lanier can persuade him to sign a pledge promising to stay for a full term if he's re-elected. On second thought, maybe that isn't such a good idea.

Contact The Insider at 624-1483 or 624-1496 (fax), or e-mail him at Insider@houston-press.com.