TIPOFF MAYOR, COUNCILMEN PLAYING GAME OF SHOW-UP, SHOWING UP.

Byline: RICK ORLOV

Politics and punishment are going hand in hand these days at Los Angeles City Hall against a backdrop of the tragedy at a Fairfax-area apartment where five people died when a plane crashed into it.

The accident occurred in the late afternoon on Friday, June 6.

Neither Mayor James Hahn nor Police Chief Bill Bratton, who was out of town, appeared on the scene.

Councilman Jack Weiss, who represents the area, was there, however, offering solace to victims, encouragement to firefighters and serving as a presence that city services were responding.

Hahn aides say only that the mayor was tied up with other matters and didn't want to get in the way of the emergency response.

But, when it came to honoring the firefighters before television cameras, Hahn was much in evidence as was Councilman Tom LaBonge, in whose district the fire station was located. Conspicuous by his absence was Weiss, who aides said was neither notified nor invited to the event.

It's probably just a coincidence that it was LaBonge who sided with the mayor - and Weiss who led the opposition - on the mayor's proposal to expand the Los Angeles Police Department in the recent budget deliberations.

``We weren't offered any carrots during the budget, but we sure felt the stick,'' a Weiss aide said.

Just in case you didn't know who your City Council member is and what he or she has accomplished, City Hall is about to correct that.

A proposal is making its way through the bureaucracy that would have the City Clerk's Office coordinate a display to highlight the history of the council districts and their representatives to be shown throughout the city.

The author of the proposal is LaBonge, who is dubbed the council's unofficial historian. He suggested that the program be coordinated with the city's archivist as well as Project Restore, the Los Angeles City Historical Society and other agencies as needed to bring together photographs and records to show off important historical moments.

There has been no estimate on the cost of the project.

Councilman Dennis Zine last week sought to put to rest all that talk of problems between him and his onetime boss, former police chief and now Councilman Bernard C. Parks.

``Some people still call him chief,'' Zine said last week at a fund-raiser for the San Fernando Valley chapter of the American Diabetes Association. ``Some people call him councilman. Others call him chief councilman. I just call him Bernie.

``And, we are getting along. We had lunch together recently. Separate tables, but we ate at the same time. And, we drove separate cars.''

It was one of the rare remarks made by Zine during a roast of him as part of the ADA's annual Valley event. More than $80,000 was raised for research at the event, at which Zine received several zingers over his, to be kind, frugality and work habits.

Police Commissioner Bert Boeckmann, who has known Zine for more than 20 years, said Zine is so cheap that when he is out socially, he invites dates to restaurants based on their two-for-one coupons - so the woman won't have to pay the full cost.

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky questioned Zine's ability to understand concepts.

``When he was in the police academy, he asked a trainer what would happen if there were no hypothetical questions,'' Yaroslavsky said.

City Council President Alex Padilla might have been one of the big winners of the night when he offered only a mild roast of Zine - and reminded him of that after his speech.

``Because you were so nice, you have my vote for council president,'' Zine told Padilla, who is battling Councilwoman Wendy Greuel for the presidency. ``That is, you have my vote as long as you stop screwing around with me.''

Former Councilman Rudy Svorinich Jr. made a rare appearance at City Hall last week - in his role as a lobbyist - and was promptly accused of being on a hiring expedition.

Council members Hal Bernson, Ruth Galanter, Nate Holden and Nick Pacheco all will be out of their jobs July 1 and have indicated they are looking at the same steps taken by Svorinich in becoming a consultant.

City law prohibits them from lobbying at City Hall for a year, but they can serve as advisers on policy issues that might come before the City Council.

But, they might do well to follow their own course.

Svorinich appeared to be losing in his effort on behalf of a client to block the sale of the Los Angeles Export Terminal as recommended by a City Council committee. His hopes now lie with the full council this coming week.

MEDIA WATCH: There is speculation that former Mayor Richard Riordan is holding off on the start of his planned weekly newspaper until after it is determined whether there will be a recall election of Gov. Gray Davis.

The much-heralded plans by the ex-mayor have been subject to wide speculation. Now, word comes from a Web site, www.laobserved.com, that Riordan and his staff are looking for a different kind of publication.

It quotes Ken Layne as saying the plan is to have more of a weekly magazine than a newspaper.

``A paper tries to make you think there's something you didn't know three days ago inside that bundle of pulp thrown on the driveway,'' Layne says. ``A good weekly magazine says, 'Well, you might know this but have you considered this wider angle ... Plus, there's a bunch of stuff going on right here in Los Angeles and you've never heard about it.'''

Rick Orlov, 213-978-0390

rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com