I have observed, with growing curiosity and deepening concern, the concerted efforts of Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and his legislative leadership to cast Utah as a national model for civil discourse. Through high-profile media tours and initiatives, they attempt to pretty up the reality of their gov ernance, effectively gaslighting the nation about the state of our democracy. While they polish the veneer of the “Utah Way,” they are simultaneously ignoring — or actively engineering — the systemic dismantling of representation, environmental stewardship, and basic inclusivity. Gov. Cox frequently evangelizes the concept of “disagreeing better,” rhetorically urging Americans toward greater virtue and mutual respect. However, a closer examination of the last five years reveals that these sentiments are merely performative. In Utah, there is no genuine ability to disagree because the mechanisms for dissent are being systematically destroyed. Cox and his legislative posse have guaranteed absolute control through extreme gerrymandering and an almost eight-year delay in implementing the people’s initiative for an independent redistricting commission (Prop 4). Recently, the hypocrisy culminated when Cox signed a bill allowing the Legislature to effectively pack the Utah Supreme Court with their allies, removing the final check on their power. They do not want better disagreement. They want total capitulation. If the rest of the country is tempted to look to the “Utah Way,” they must first examine the destructive “accomplishments” of this administration: Erosion of Representation The governor and his Legislature have engaged in the obscene gerrymandering of federal and state districts, stripping hundreds of thousands of Utahns of a meaningful democratic voice. This theft of influence is most glaring in Summit County, with a population of only 42,000. The state has chopped and divided us in every conceivable way to dilute our influence. We are currently split among three representatives in the Utah House, two state senators in the Utah State Senate, and two of Utah’s four U.S representatives in Congress. None of these districts are coterminous, and crucially, no Summit County resident represents Summit County in the Utah House, Senate, or U.S. House. We have been cracked into voiceless, irrelevant pieces to ensure our distinct local concerns are swallowed by larger, ideologically distinct voting blocks. Furthermore, in a devious move last year, the Legislature abolished the at-large election of Summit County councilors under the guise of “fairness.” Against the clear preference of the county, they imposed a geographic election process in which voters have only one vote every four years. Under our former process, every voter could vote for two or three councilors every two years — totaling five votes every four years. This was a targeted suppression of local voter agency. Poisoning of Wasatch Front On policy crises, Gov. Cox leans heavily on performative theology rather than science. Regarding the disappearing Great Salt Lake, he has solicited prayers for rain while failing to enact the difficult policies required to save the ecosystem. On this point, I first find myself questioning a theology that assumes God would prioritize a plea for water in Utah when the prayers of Mormons repeatedly expelled from their homes by hate-filled violence and the desperate pleas of six million Jews perishing during the Holocaust went unanswered. Faith is personal, but governance requires stewardship. While Cox prays and on occasion he and the Legislature take tepid steps, the lakebed dries, slowly but surely, transforming into a toxic dust bowl laced with arsenic and heavy metals. Scientists warn that millions of downwind residents face a public health catastrophe comparable to an “environmental nuclear bomb.” Yet, leadership continues to prioritize unchecked development and water diversion, effectively gambling with the long-term survival of the state’s population for short-term profit. Marginalization The administration has also engaged in persistent efforts to demonize the LGBTQ+ community, specifically targeting the roughly 20,000 transgender individuals in our state. These relentless attacks continue unabated, using state power to punch down at a marginalized group rather than lift them up. By also banning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs across government and education (HB 261), they have effectively criminalized the effort to create welcoming environments, signaling that Utah is closed to those who do not fit a specific mold. There is a tangible economic cost to this cruelty. The Sundance Film Festival recently departed Utah for the last time, taking with it an economic impact of $200 million and $14 million in tax revenue. Creative industries and diverse businesses recoil from environments where intolerance is legislated. Censorship, Hypocrisy Simultaneously, the state has empowered the grievances of a tiny minority to ban books in public schools. The recent statewide banning of “Wicked” is particularly ironic. A story centered on empathy for the misunderstood is deemed “dangerous” by a state government that claims to champion dignity. Perhaps the most damning evidence of this hypocrisy is the governor’s political alignment. While Cox travels the country preaching “dignity” and “respect,” he has lashed his political fortunes to Donald Trump — the most divisive and undignified figure in modern history. This is not merely a difference of opinion. It is profound moral rot and abdication. By normalizing a leader who traffics in hate and cruelty, and explicitly rejects the virtues Utah claims to prize, state leadership proves their values are discarded the moment political power is at stake. These actions are not virtuous. They do not earn their proponents the right to lecture the nation on civil discourse. Rather than adopting the “Utah Way,” I urge the rest of the country to run quickly from our example. While I cannot know the private hearts of Gov. Cox and his leadership, I can judge their public fruit — and I urge rejection. As a citizen, it is my obligation to bear witness, to speak out, and to vote. Forgiveness is not mine to give. I believe these men know exactly how to change course and seek absolution for what they have done to betray the state of Utah and its residents. Richard Shapiro is a retired public affairs executive and attorney who lives in Oakley. The post The hollow virtue of the ‘Utah Way’ appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less