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Editor’s Note: Editorials will return next week.

Twenty-five tickets to the Orange County Fair for free? Now that’s excessive.

I own a seven-unit condominium complex three blocks from the Orange County Fairgrounds. And now that the Orange County Fair is in session, I guess it means it’s time for the fair board to show its appreciation to its great neighbors by giving each nearby renter 25 tickets to the fair.

Does anyone need or deserve 25 free tickets to the fair? And did I mention the fair is also providing free parking as well?

I don’t want to sound like Ebenezer Scrooge, but this seems like an absurd waste of money and a blatant attempt to buy a neighborhood’s goodwill.

I understand the fair board may claim it gave out “only” 20 tickets to each neighbor, but two of my tenants each showed me their 25, so I’m sticking with that number.

Ironically, I’ve owned a home less than 500 yards from the fairgrounds on Mesa Drive and have done so for the past 13 years. Want to know how many tickets to the fair have been provided to me and my neighbors over the past 13 years? Zero. Zip. Nada.

Guess it’s kind of ironic that tonight as I was pulling into my driveway, I encountered a fairgoer (easy to spot because he’s the one was carrying the cute and cuddly stuffed animal under one arm) urinating in public on Mesa Drive at Orange Avenue.

I would hope the fair board would realize that instead of giving 25 free tickets away to a given household, they could reduce the number of tickets given (to say five per household) but in turn, increase the number of households that receive them.

Why not give them to the homeowners who have to pick up the bottles, trash, debris and deal with the additional traffic each day and night from fairgoers? It’s a great gesture to give the tickets to renters but me and my fellow property owners are the ones truly impacted by the damage done by fairgoers and extra work cleaning up the mess each morning.

I’m no mathematician, but if you gave only five tickets to each resident — which is still a $50 value when you include parking — seems to me you could “spread the wealth and goodwill” to provide five times as many people with tickets.

Just a random thought, but I don’t know anyone who would be disappointed in receiving five free tickets.

Yet I’m tired of getting phone calls from tenants asking, “What do we do with all these tickets to the fair that we didn’t ask for?”

HUGH SILER

Costa Mesa

McCain made wrong call on Afghanistan

A new video shows that in 2003, in front of the Council on Foreign Relations, Sen. John McCain said he was more concerned with the war in Iraq, and that we may “muddle through in Afghanistan” without a large number of forces.

McCain showed poor judgment and forethought, which is disturbing given that he says this area is his strong suit. We cannot “muddle through” in Afghanistan. We have done that for the past five years, and all that has happened is that the Taliban has recaptured a large chunk of that country, Al Qaeda is back at pre-9/11 strength, and Osama bin Laden is free and plotting against America.

McCain’s strategy for launching a war in Iraq and staying there indefinitely has made us less secure and allowed extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan to regain their strength.

John McCain in 2003 was horribly wrong, there was no “muddling through” in Afghanistan. There was either taking the fight to the enemy, or not. He chose not. That was a grave error in his judgment.

CECE NEBER

Los Angeles

Congressman’s new proposal irresponsible

If Rep. Dana Rohrabacher wishes to be taken seriously regarding the application process for the construction of solar-power plants, he should speak seriously. His proposal to totally omit environmental-impact studies is ludicrous and irresponsible; and serious-minded members of the House will pay him no attention.

Could he not, instead, propose ways the permit process might be expedited? This would be a profitable conversation.

WILBUR DAVIS

Newport Beach

Forcing flood insurance unfair

I do not agree that flood insurance should be mandatory. It is unfair to force Costa Mesa residents to pay to bail out other areas of the country that have not invested as heavily in flood safety. This “broad brush” approach of the bill is insane.

I sincerely hope our Costa Mesa City Council will vote unanimously to formally oppose this bill.

BILL SNEEN

 Costa Mesa

No, I’m not interested in flood insurance

I certainly would not like to start paying again for flood insurance. I have lived here since 1979 and would not enjoy another hit at age 84.

Enough is enough. No más.

OSCAR SAMUELSON

Costa Mesa

Someone always pays for unhealthy habits

So Mr. Righeimer, after thinking about it, decided the seat belt law saves lives and money (“Nanny state says ‘no cellphones,’” July 12). It’s ironic that his column ends on the same page as an article on the “junk food” at the OC Fair.

The American diet — which includes meats, chips, etc. — leads to obesity, heart disease, cancer and more. Somebody has to pay for these health problems, just as when an individual flies through his windshield.

Perhaps government should also mandate meatless diets, ban fried foods, and do more to modify our diets.

By the way, I always wear a seat belt and am a vegetarian.

JEFFREY S. LEE

Newport Beach