Political observers are used to hearing “throwaway lines,” or empty platitudes that a politician uses in each stump piece, changing nothing other than the name of the place he or she is visiting.
But when Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday that Utah is “one of the most dynamic, growing, family-friendly states,” that was backed by a boatload of substance. Utah isn’t the only place he delivered a speech urging ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement that would replace NAFTA, but it may be the most unique.
People here are used to the idea that the state punches above its weight. Thursday was an example of that.
While the vice president was speaking in South Jordan and, earlier in the day, meeting with leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (owners of this newspaper) to discuss, among other things, the church’s efforts to alleviate suffering in Venezuela, Utah Sen. Mike Lee was in Guatemala, delivering the keynote address at that country’s annual prayer breakfast.
Utah always has been associated with religion, but today Utahns are seen as leaders in the struggle for religious liberty worldwide — a topic of vital importance in a world where believers are increasingly subject to violent attacks.
Lee’s speech, delivered entirely in Spanish, was an example of the abundance of linguistic expertise in the state, thanks to the many church missionaries who have spent years in foreign lands.
Beyond that, the state is hitting above its weight for legislative successes and innovations.
While many states grapple with the tug of war between religious liberties and LGBTQ rights, Utahns came together to craft a law that defines the middle ground, giving each side important protections in a spirit of mutual respect.
Seen as a potential model for other states, this solution has been difficult to duplicate without the cooperative spirit that exists in the Beehive State.
The state has long called itself the crossroads of the West. More and more, however, it is beginning to look like a crossroads of the world.
The same could be said for the Utah Compact, which set forth five principles that are to guide the immigration discussion in the state, including respect for families and a recognition of the economic impacts of immigrants to the state.
Utah legalized medicinal marijuana this year after passage of a citizen initiative, but unlike in other states, the leaders of both sides in that debate came together afterward to compromise on a stronger law that combines compassion with protections against an increase in societal ills.
On the innovative side, the emergence of Silicon Slopes, the rapidly growing collection of high-tech companies — some national and many homegrown — along a corridor that straddles Salt Lake and Utah counties, is fast becoming a rival to the better-known Silicon Valley in California.
As The New York Times noted two years ago, “The region has given rise to at least five companies valued at more than $1 billion. The concentration of these so-called unicorns is surpassed only by California, New York and Massachusetts …”
A decade ago, the State New Economy Index ranked Utah No. 1 in the nation for Economic Dynamism, using as its criteria: “The degree to which state economies are knowledge-based, globalized, entrepreneurial, information technology-driven, and innovation-based.”
Since then, a long list of national publications have ranked the state at or near the top for places in which to do business or to start a new venture.
Utah’s unemployment rate is at an astounding 2.8%, which is evidence of a dynamic economy that attracts eager investors worldwide. Its plans for a new inland port and a new international airport will only add to that dynamism.
The state has long called itself the crossroads of the West. More and more, however, it is beginning to look like a crossroads of the world. That reality, which came into focus in unique ways this week, ought to inspire and spur everyone in the state to work harder with a sense of vision and pride.