In the Oct. 31 editorial “Stand up for sequester,” The Columbian’s editorial board has come out in favor of the sequester. The sequester cuts funding to nearly all programs, good and bad, including programs that greatly benefit our country and our future. It is such a foolish path, that most members of Congress believed it would force them to come to a budget agreement.
That didn’t work, but the sequester is still a terrible idea. Good government means creating and fully funding programs that are effective, while defunding or discontinuing programs that are not. Across-the-board cuts are a failure to think, a failure to plan for the future, and always a failure to govern.
Just because many Americans don’t see immediate harm to their personal lives does not mean that harm isn’t being done. By the time we can all see it, the damage will be difficult to undo. By supporting the sequester, the editorial board is telling politicians they may continue as they are and that bad governance is acceptable.
Brian Snyder
Vancouver
