Jonetta Rose Barras: Procurement cure?

The District’s contracting and procurement system has invited waste, fraud and abuse since the days of Marion Barry Jr.’s first mayoral administration. Last year, violations — mostly by city officials — affected every aspect of the government, including day care services, construction of recreation facilities, lottery games and housing for AIDS sufferers.

So, Ward 3’s Mary Cheh and 11 other council members deserve some credit for introducing last week the Omnibus Procurement Reform Amendment Act of 2010. After all, hundreds of millions of public dollars are at stake.