Douglas continues her political snit, paid for by youknowwho

It's full taxpayer-supplied steam ahead for state Superintendent Diane Douglas in her political feud with the state Board of Education.

Since February, Douglas has been trying to fire board staffers whom she believes are too liberal to carry out her agenda.

In May, a Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Patricia Starr ruled that the power to hire and fire rests with the 11-member board – not with the superintendent. And she ruled that the staffers by law must carry out the policies of the board – not the superintendent.

Then she summarily dismissed Douglas' lawsuit.

Undaunted, Douglas has decided to appeal, upon the recommendation of her private attorney, Steven Tully.

Well, of course, he recommends that she appeal. He's been paid $28,000 thus far for this losing lawsuit and he stands to score even more with an appeal.

Meanwhile, the board has spent $21,740 to fight Douglas' lawsuit, as well as $9,987 for legal advice on staffers' employment.

And we taxpayers? Lucky us, we get to pay both to bring the lawsuit and defend the lawsuit.

Tully asked the Arizona Court of Appeals to immediately hear Douglas' appeal.

Alas, the appeals court today said no, meaning this will be a long drawn and ever more expensive affair affair.

Fortunately, this is an issue of vital, crucial, astronomical import to parents and students who soon will be begin a new year in what a recent WalletHub study found were some of the lowest quality schools in the nation.