New Mexico Border Dreams: Contraband, Cattle, Computers and Space Cowboys

Written by Kent Paterson, some interesting stuff on the Spaceport, Charlie Crowder, NM Border Authority, Dave Cargo, Santa Teresa POE, etc.

As New Mexico enters its second century as a US state, two big economic developments loom over the southern border county of Dona Ana. While vastly different at first glance, they are both rooted in timeless, science fiction-like human fantasies of rapidly moving humans and their goods from one place to the next. Promising jobs and prosperity, both are products of long-time state plans and underwritten to varying degrees with tax-payer money. And both exemplify bipartisan border economic development strategies and philosophies that span multiple state administrations as well as the two major political parties. The first development is actually located in Sierra County but close enough to the Dona Ana County line to garner support from the local powers-that-be. Situated 45 miles north of Las Cruces, Spaceport America is expected to be in the business of shooting wealthy tourists into space by 2013...more