Regarding the March 9 editorial "The pay-cut bandwagon": I am very surprised that The Japan Times would find issue with the proposal to cut Diet members' salaries by 14 percent, on the grounds that it may hamper lawmakers' activities. Japanese Diet members are paid almost three times more than British members of Parliament, and to my mind, they are three times less effective.
Recently in Britain the notion has taken hold that company executives should not continue to earn huge salaries and bonuses if their companies are performing badly. I feel the same condition should apply to lawmakers.
In Japan's case, I would argue that Diet members generally do an appalling job, and that Japanese politics is rife with nepotism, cronyism, corruption and incompetence. I do not, therefore, see why Japanese politicians should be rewarded so handsomely for their abject failure to provide Japan with the kind of leadership it desperately needs. If pay cuts hamper their activities, too bad.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.