Gas prices are skyrocketing, the housing market is slumping and economic uncertainty hangs like a thundercloud over the country. It's a time for difficult choices and strong leadership. Tooele City officials are dipping into reserves to balance the city budget and declining pay raises for themselves. Law enforcement authorities are worried about tight budgets and having enough officers to keep up with a growing population.

Meanwhile, Tooele County Commissioners want to borrow $3 million to build a new convention center and rodeo arena at Deseret Peak.

This is an idea that appears poorly timed and ill-considered.

First off, not everyone is convinced a convention center will succeed at Deseret Peak. After all, building the center will be the easy part. Keeping it full and in the black could be much more problematic. Presumably the county would hire a management firm for the facility, but even then there's no guarantee professional meeting planners would find Deseret Peak an attractive venue for conventions. Plus, because this industry tends to run on bookings often made years in advance, it can take a new convention center a long time to establish itself. Is the county prepared to subsidize a center meant to subsidize Deseret Peak Complex?

Perhaps convention centers have been successful in other rural areas in Utah, but how many of those areas were only a half-hour drive from downtown Salt Lake City? It's hard to imagine out-of-state groups choosing Deseret Peak over the Salt Palace Convention Center. Also, conventioneers generally like to stay near where they meet. Do we have an adequate inventory of hotel rooms to make a convention center viable? Miller Motorsports Park already has a beautiful clubhouse and other facilities that can accommodate groups. Is the county going to start competing against MMP?

While we are merely unconvinced on the viability of a new convention center, it's easy to be opposed to another rodeo arena. People across the county want a recreation center with basketball and tennis courts, a jogging track, a weight room, maybe even indoor fields for soccer and football. They want a place where kids and adults can play popular, mainstream sports.

A new rodeo arena would only serve a minority special interest group. It would continue the legacy of Desert Peak -- with its chariot track, motocross track and existing rodeo arena -- as being a place for the few rather than the many. It would also send a message that commissioners will put their pet interests ahead of the wishes of the majority of county residents -- and they will borrow to do it.

County commissioners should rethink bonding for this project in light of tough economic times, more pressing needs and the will of their entire constituency.