Here some of the state’s most noted and qualified policy experts answer two vital questions: New Mexico 2050—What can we be? What will we be? They have produced in this volume, edited by former US Senator Fred Harris, a dynamic blueprint for New Mexico’s future—a manual for leaders and public officials, a text for students, a sourcebook for teachers and researchers, and a guide for citizens who want the Land of Enchantment to also become the Land of Opportunity for all. Contributors include economists Lee Reynis and Jim Peach, education policy expert Veronica García, health and health care specialist Nandini Pillai Kuehn, political scientists Gabriel Sánchez and Shannon Sánchez-Youngblood, Native American scholar Veronica Tiller, icon of New Mexico cultural affairs and the arts V. B. Price, authorities on water and the environment Laura Paskus and Adrian Oglesby, planning specialist Aaron Sussman, and inaugural Albuquerque poet laureate Hakim Bellamy. Digital versions of individual chapters allow interested readers to explore the key issues impacting the state of New Mexico.

V. B. Price is an authority and an advocate in the field of New Mexican cultural affairs and the arts. In this E-short edition from New Mexico 2050, he focuses on how much the “creative workers,” those working in the arts and culture, are an essential part of what makes New Mexico New Mexico—what makes people want to live here, what makes people want to come here, what valuable contributions these creative workers make to the economy, and how much more they can contribute if New Mexicans more fully support and encourage their efforts.

The land, water, and air that make New Mexico a Land of Enchantment are facing increasing threats due to drought, climate change, and declining environmental quality protections. In this E-short edition from New Mexico 2050, noted environmental journalist Laura Paskus and Adrian Oglesby, a water law and water management expert, demonstrate how, in the face of such challenges, citizens can preserve and enrich New Mexico’s natural resources.

New Mexico Education in 2050, an E-short edition from New Mexico 2050, addresses a fundamental issue impacting the future of New Mexico: education. Veronica C. García, a lifelong educator, an education policy expert, and a passionate education advocate, outlines the central concerns and illustrates why New Mexicans must improve and invest more generously in education outcomes.

In New Mexico Economy in 2050, an E-short edition from New Mexico 2050, two of the state’s foremost economists, Lee Reynis of the University of New Mexico and Jim Peach of New Mexico State University, provide an overview of New Mexico’s economy. Reynis and Peach present the dimensions and effects of income inequality in the region and how it can be ameliorated. This selection also includes two short guest essays, one by Henry Rael on tradition- and culture-based economic development, and the other by Chuck Wellborn on fostering and nurturing homegrown industry.

In this E-short edition from New Mexico 2050, Veronica E. Tiller—a Jicarilla Apache who is the editor and publisher of the renowned reference guide Tiller’s Guide to Indian Country—surveys the history and present-day roles of Indian tribes in New Mexico. Considering the key issues impacting Native Americans—including climate change, water resources, energy development, education, and health—Tiller reveals what New Mexicans can do to ensure a more satisfying and rewarding future for all.

“Combining New Mexico’s Hispanic population with its Native American community makes New Mexico one of the few minority-majority states in the country,” write Gabriel R. Sánchez and Shannon Sánchez-Youngman in this E-short edition from New Mexico 2050. Here, Sánchez, a nationally recognized political scientist, and Sánchez-Youngman, a political science doctoral student, explore New Mexico’s unique demography and its impact on politics in the state. This selection is enhanced by an accompanying essay by attorney and activist Pamelya Herndon on African Americans and other minorities in New Mexico.

As professional transportation planner Aaron Sussman notes, “Where we live, how we live, and how we travel are deeply intertwined.” This E-short edition from New Mexico 2050 concentrates on developments in transportation and the factors that will continue to shape the state’s future, from population and housing to travel patterns and funding.

In this E-short edition from New Mexico 2050, health and health care specialist Nandini Pillai Kuehn examines the complex subject of health in New Mexico. She describes the issues involved in health outcomes for the state—including race and ethnicity, socioeconomic factors, and insurance—and how the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has impacted the health system, as well as possible scenarios for New Mexico’s future.

Conflicts between Hispanic farmers and developers made for compelling reading in The Milagro Beanfield War, the famous novel of life in a northern New Mexico village in which tradition triumphs over modernity. But as cities grow and industries expand, are acequias, or community irrigation ditches, a wise and efficient use of water in the arid Southwest? José Rivera presents the contemporary case for the value of acequias and the communities they nurture in the river valleys of southern Colorado and New Mexico. Recognizing that "water is the lifeblood of the community," Rivera delineates an acequia culture based on a reciprocal relationship between irrigation and community. The acequia experience grows out of a conservation ethic and a tradition of sharing that should be recognized and preserved in an age of increasing competition for scarce water resources. "A worthwhile contribution to the future management of water resources."--Professor Michael C. Meyer