D Walnut Grove

Thank you for your editorial ("Cruelty in Ethiopia," April 23) focusing on the plight of the Ethiopian people as the potential for another devastating famine grows. Clearly, the difficulties are great in delivering aid in the face of a civil war and political stalemate. In the last year though, many humanitarian assistance efforts have succeeded. It is critical that donors find out which agencies are providing aid on a consistent basis and target contributions to those which are most effective in breaking through the barriers.

A state lawmaker criticized airlines Friday for California fares that have jumped an average of 40% over inflation since federal deregulation of intrastate service in 1978. "It's very clear the skies of California are not friendly for airline passengers," Sen. John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove) said at a Capitol news conference.

Matthew (Kip) Fong, a Los Angeles attorney and son of Democratic Secretary of State March Fong Eu, said Tuesday he is considering running for state controller as a Republican. In response to inquiries, his mother sent out a two-page statement declaring that she loves her children and reared them to be independent thinkers but that she would be "neutral" in any election in which her son ran as a Republican.

Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy said Tuesday that he has all but eliminated himself as a candidate for governor or the U.S. Senate in 1986. McCarthy estimated that there was only a "2% chance" he would scrap his plans to run for reelection in favor of seeking another political office. He disclosed his decision in an interview in Sherman Oaks after speaking with a group of exporters who belong to the Valley International Trade Assn.

Another high-ranking aide to Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner announced his resignation Friday. Administrative assistant Neil Rincover, who was Reiner's chief political aide, said he was leaving in order to return to full-time political consulting. Rincover, 31, who served as a campaign coordinator during Reiner's successful 1984 candidacy and has also worked on the campaigns of Sen. Alan Cranston and state Sen.

Representatives of two major Bar associations joined a state senator Wednesday in support of proposed legislation that seemingly could cost California attorneys both money and clients. Under the measure, introduced by state Sen. John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove) and co-sponsored by the State Bar of California and the 17,000-member Los Angeles County Bar Assn., the state would offer funds for neighborhood centers to resolve disputes outside of courtrooms.