The front-page article in the Feb. 14 Herald, "GOP's Gripes about spending cuts ignore role in their creation," was so opinionated as to belong on the editorial page and did little to enlighten readers about the sequestration legislation soon to take effect.

Sequestration should proceed simply because it is the only agreed-to bipartisan legislation to reduce the critical debt problem. Contrary to exaggerations of doom, it amounts to only 10 percent of the administration's expenditures for the year and is less than twice the amount Congress already approved for Hurricane Sandy without providing offsetting cuts.

If this country cannot sustain this, we really are in trouble.

And note this: Sequestration only reduces the planned increase in federal spending. The debt will still increase without further cuts, painful taxes or super inflation (hidden taxes).

Special interest groups are attacking sequestration and, as usual, Democrats and Republicans alike are scrambling to pander to their special interest supporters, without regard to the overall good of the country.

If the sequester is rescinded, I won't believe that either party really believes in reduced spending, even though polls show public support.

DEAN DAVIS, Kennewick