Every organization that wants to have a booth at the Union County Fair should pay for it.

The Union County Fair Board dodged a bullet Tuesday when board member Don Sanders offered to pay the $100 booth fee for the county’s five veterans groups. In a letter signed by representatives of each group, the veterans had asked the board to waive the fee “as a worthy gesture of respect” which would “represent an honest showing of Union County’s appreciation for our devoted service.”

The veterans argued that having a booth at the fair would enable them to reach more veterans and share information about available benefits.

We are proud of our veterans and thankful for the sacrifices they made while serving our country. Union County honors its veterans every year with one of the largest Veterans Day parades in South Carolina.

But the Union County Fair is in the business of making money and to allow fee waivers doesn’t make good business sense. It would be like owning a restaurant and giving away free meals — before long you would be out of business.

Sanders said as much when he expressed concerns that allowing a fee waiver for the veterans would set a precedent that could undermine the fair.

While appreciative of Sanders’ generosity, the veterans continued to press for a waiver, noting that the county’s horseman’s association had been granted a permanent waiver.

To make matters equal for all involved, the fair board should rescind the waiver for the horseman’s association and charge them the same booth fee as any other organization.