And Las Cruces is right in the middle of it all. Yet despite the growth and potential, Do a Ana County also has some of the state's highest poverty figures and is among the nation's poorest of metropolitan areas. With this comes the problem of colonias, the development of illegal, impoverished subdivisions that lack utilities and water and present a health risk. The New Mexico Legislature is tackling the issue through restrictions on land development. The seasonal work in agriculture, which plays a major role in the economy with crops such as cotton, chile, pecans and production of dairy products, also pushes the unemployment rate to 9.9 percent in July and 8.2 percent in September.
Experts agree that the lack of manufacturing companies in Las Cruces also is a dilemma.
And frustrations have mounted as large firms bypass Las Cruces for cities north and south. But the movers and shakers have become aggressive in tackling the challenges. Sen. Fernando Macias is leading the charge to make Las Cruces and Do a Ana County part of the bigger picture. He well knows the area's strengths and weaknesses through his two years as county judge and 12 years in the state Senate. For 18 months, he also has been executive director of the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance.