EIther the technique is correct, or it is not. Is a -3 harsh for improper technique...probably. But, that is why there needs to be less fear from the judges to utlize the entire spectrum of the GOE scale and it is stipulated within the GOE guidelines what the penalty is for poor technique IMHO....ie wrong edge, pre-rotation, a leg wrap, mule kick, etc.
What is the stipulated penalty for leg wrap or mule kick? I've never seen those listed in the ISU documentation.
The penalties for wrong edge or prerotation vary from -1 to -3 depending on severity. Severe instances will be punished more than those you need video replay to tell whether they even occurred or not. Also, judges need to be able to leave room to penalize a jump that has one of these errors and also has other errors more severely than jumps that have only one of these errors.
If I see any fear from judges in using the whole GOE scale, it's more on the +2 and +3 end than on the negative side.