Gov. Spencer Cox delivers his 2024 State of the State address at the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. (Pool photo by Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune)
Last week Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s State of the State address included a long list of appreciations. Stuff that makes Utahns proud. But hidden among the humble-brags and jokes about how “profoundly weird” it can get around here was a liability disguised as an asset.
Because the weirdest thing Cox mentioned — by far — was that Utahns like to “dine on fry sauce.”
Let’s face it, “fry sauce” isn’t real. No matter what anyone says — even the governor — “fry sauce” is fiction. It’s fake. More than fake, it’s ridiculous. And as the late philosopher Kenny Rogers once suggested, we’ve “got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em.” When it comes to Beehive State assets—the things Utah should care about—it’s time to forget about “fry sauce.” Here’s why.
Imagine a drive over the state line into Nevada. You’re tired, so you stop somewhere to get a quick bite. You zero-in on handheld food, diner or drive-in style. You grab some fries, scan the condiments and spot a radiant, prison-jumpsuit-colored bottle labeled “Ketard.”