Does absolute power corrupt absolutely?

That's the question that has to be answered when considered Post business columnist Stephen Pearlstein's piece from Friday "The Mayor's Advantage" about how to (re)create an economic deveopment instrumentality out of the NCRC and AWC.

One point I definitely agree with--do you need to pay lots of people lots of money for two organizations.

On the other hand, Pearlstein suggests:

Fenty should suggest that the new agency be freed from the full complement of city procurement and contracting rules that are, at best, cumbersome and, at worst, prevent the city from getting what it needs, when it wants it.

Given the kind of contract steering that the DC government is known for, and the current Adminsitration efforts in many areas that seem more oriented to the consolidation of power rather than to "good government," not to mention the many examples of concern from Baltimore and the operations of the Baltimore Development Corporation, this track is somewhat worrisome, although sure, it would be much better for such an organization to be under the control of the Executive Branch rather than City Council, which is so focused on greasing the rails that it's time for an update of the book Dream City...

Mayor Adrian Fenty, left, with Deputy Mayor Neil Albert. Photo Credit: By Rich Lipski -- The Washington Post.

Also see "Deputy mayor lobbied for company ," from the Examiner.