I just read Richard Brodsky's commentary ("How ethics reform can go wrong," May 20).
There is obviously lots of criminal and unethical bad behavior in state government. Mr. Brodsky seems to feel that one way to reduce bad ethics is to raise the pay for legislators. When one includes their Cadillac health benefits, pensions, per-diem pay for meals and salaries, they are making a tremendous amount of money for a part-time job. They even take off every imaginable religious holiday, regardless of faith.
There are people making less than half the legislative salary without any benefits, and they are expected to behave ethically. Why should they be forced to pay through their taxes an increase to these already ridiculous legislative salaries and benefits?
One solution might be to pick our government like we pick a jury, which we assume will behave ethically. As opposed to the $40 a day paid for jury duty, for some people, being picked to be a two-year legislator would be the equivalent of winning the lottery.
Mark Haft
Colonie