By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

When is a volunteer not a volunteer but a "First Lady" or a "personal assistant"? When Gloria Squitiro and Mayor Mark Funkhouser say so. At least that's what they claim now. But they are not correct, as the records show.

In her latest newsletter -- prompted by the City Council's passage of an ordinance designed to force her out of the mayor's office -- Squitiro makes the following statement:

"Just to be clear: I do not 'volunteer' for the City of Kansas City. The title of First Lady was handed to me the moment that my husband was elected Mayor. My only role in his office has been to serve my husband as his personal assistant, so that he can better serve the residents of our city."

Actually, Squitiro is incorrect.

The title handed to her even before Funkhouser took office was "volunteer."

By whom?

Mark Funkhouser.

Here's a crucial excerpt from The Star's March 29, 2007, interview of the newly elected mayor:

"Q: Is Gloria (Funkhouser’s wife) going to be on your staff? (She was his campaign manager.)

"A: Gloria will probably work in the mayor’s office as a volunteer. We won’t do any nepotism, thank you. I’m not paying Gloria.

"Q: Doing what?

"A: We don’t even know exactly, but a lot of what she did on the campaign, which is just listen to and respond to people in writing.

"Q: She said some things that riled some people.

"A: Well, we are going to say lots of things that rile people."

Mission accomplished, I'd say.

No mention of calling her a "first lady." Or a "personal assistant." But Funkhouser called her by the term the media have used since then -- "volunteer."