TIPOFF PARKING OPERATOR TAKES A GAMBLE IN CALLING ON CHICK.

Byline: RICK ORLOV

It could be a strategy of political brilliance -- or political suicide.

Joseph Lumer, chief executive of Five Star Parking, is trying to enlist City Controller Laura Chick in a dispute he has with the city Department of Transportation over a DOT review that found he shortchanged the city some $630,000 from its Hollywood parking lot operation.

Lumer, who is among the larger contributors in city elections and operates the lucrative parking franchise at Los Angeles International Airport, sent each City Council member a three-page protest letter and a 30- page packet of information disputing the audit.

Chick says she has no plans to review the DOT audit.

``I am not going to be put in the position of reviewing every contract from a vendor who disagrees with a city department's decision,'' Chick said. ``Besides, if Mr. Lumer wants to pursue this, he has other remedies than trying to use my office to get out from this.''

Lumer's letter piqued the curiosity of several council members, who wondered why he was escalating the matter and inviting additional reviews that could raise even more questions.

Steve Afriat, who advises Lumer, acknowledged the risk of asking for Chick's involvement.

``Clearly she is extraordinarily tough,'' Afriat said. ``We think her office can take an open look at this. We're contending the Department of Transportation people need to go back to auditing school.''

Among the city's contentions is that a large percentage of tickets were missing at the Hollywood operation -- and tickets are a key auditing tool to determine revenue owed to the city.

Councilman Dennis Zine has found a new way to bond with his colleagues: at the Los Angeles Police Academy shooting range.

Zine last week took Councilman Jose Huizar to the range -- known as Hogan's Alley -- for a 45-minute lesson on firing a handgun.

``He got pretty good at it by the end,'' said Zine, noting he showed Huizar how to shoot the department-approved .38-caliber, .45-caliber and 9 mm handguns as LAPD trainers stood nearby.

Zine served on the LAPD for 30 years and is an LAPD reserve officer.

``As a council, we are reviewing officer-involved shooting and use- of-force cases all the time and I want our members to have an understanding of how a weapon works and what it can and can't do,'' Zine said.

Zine has provided City Council President Eric Garcetti with similar shooting lessons and said he wants to bring all his colleagues to the range.

For the record, all the guns are owned by Zine and he even paid for the bullets.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is insisting he is trying to soften his rhetoric with Los Angeles Unified School District officials as he continues to pursue his efforts to take control of the system.

``I am not at war with them,'' Villaraigosa said last week. ``This is just an issue I care passionately about.''

Villaraigosa said he is going to continue his lobbying effort of Sacramento politicians, although it might be in a less public way.

``When I visit them in person up there, it's too disruptive,'' Villaraigosa said. ``What I'll be doing is talking to a lot of people to explain what I am trying to do. There are a lot of misconceptions and misperceptions. I expected that and it's up to me to explain what I am looking for.''

In the meantime, the President's Commission on Education -- formed by then-council President Alex Padilla and then-school board President Huizar -- is scheduled to release its final recommendations this week.

Many on the panel have been frustrated that they are being swept up and overlooked in Villaraigosa's juggernaut.

However, with all of the controversy focused on Villaraigosa's battle with LAUSD officials, they hope to become an alternative voice and a potential compromise as the debate continues.

If nothing else, the mayor and Zine could become a comedy team.

Last week at a luncheon with San Fernando Valley business leaders, the mayor joked about Zine's eating habits.

Looking around, he spotted Zine near the dessert table.

``Dennis -- eating again!'' Villaraigosa chided. ``Standing there, eating a cookie! It used to be a doughnut in your other profession.''

The comment drew loud laughter from the assembled group, although not so much from the mayor's cadre of bodyguards.

``Just kidding,'' the mayor hastily added. ``LAPD officers take such good care of me.''

Villaraigosa also targeted himself for a joke when he called out from behind the podium for Deputy Mayor Robert ``Bud'' Ovrom.

Ovrom was, in fact, seated directly in front of the diminutive mayor, who veered from his talk on the aerospace industry to lament his modest stature.

``Man, I'm too darn short,'' he quipped. ``They need to give me a box to stand on.''

MEDIA WATCH: Betty Pleasant Miller, the political columnist for the Southwest Wave, which primarily serves the African-American community, is not known for pulling her punches.

And last week was no exception when she ticked off her endorsements for various races in her column, ``The Soulvine.''

``Our opinions are based on various factors,'' Pleasant told readers. ``Including the fact that the Soulvine has a long memory, is vindictive, and strongly believes the best way to punish an offensive politician is to vote against him.''

Daily News staff writer Brent Hopkins contributed to this story.

rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com

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