Plans to put the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative into effect two years ago were postponed because of a significant backlog in passport applications and delays getting sufficient staff and equipment in place.
Mr. Pataki pushed back vigorously during his testimony when a plaintiff's lawyer, Ameer Benno, tried to show that he had been deeply involved in planning and putting the initiative into effect.
Mr. Pataki, a Republican who was governor for three terms, testified during the trial that he asked his staff in 2005 to put the sexually violent predator initiative into effect after he had failed repeatedly over the years to win legislative approval for such a policy.
"It's often the same people locally who are putting [these initiatives] into effect and responding to them," says Keep. Rationalisation is clearly called for.
Housing professionals have always known 2012 would be a busy year, with a raft of new initiatives coming into effect as the government tries to balance the need to make savings with urgent action to address a growing housing crisis.
Realistically, it will be at least two years before any meaningful streamlined initiatives go into effect.
The first phase of the land and sea portion of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative goes into effect on Jan.
The plan will also draw on $700 million appropriated by Congress under the so-called Merida Initiative, put into effect by former President George W. Bush, to provide training and equipment to Mexican law enforcement agencies.
The initiative went into effect at the start of the year and involves folding aviation into the European Union's six-year-old Emissions Trading System, in which polluters can buy and sell a limited quantity of permits, each representing a ton of carbon dioxide.
In an interview last month, she said the municipality should take its time and watch what comes out of the Legislature and the nine-month marijuana rule-making process that will begin in February, when the initiative goes into effect.
