Let’s be honest.  The Republicans who run our state are anything but frugal minders of taxpayers’ money.

 In fact, they seem to view our money as their piggybank.

 How else to explain their insistence on paying Russell Pearce for his recall campaign?

 All that money, $261,000 worth, is simply a campaign contribution from taxpayers to their buddy Russell.

 He’s not required to pay back any of he donations from the recall campaign.  And he personally spent the grand sum of $300.

 Which means if the budget amendment passes and the Guv signs it, we donate $261,000 to Pearce’s Senate campaign he’s currently waging.

 Or worse, we simply give him the moolah to spend as he pleases.

 But the Republican spendthrifts — with our money — have another plan, one with no limits on how much of our money they’ll spend.

 Seems like they don’t like the legislative redistricting map.  So they’re gonna sue.

 Okay, so far, so good.  They have that right; the Dems did the same thing back in 2001, with their own money.

 The difference?  The Republicans will spend our money on attorneys and associated fees.  And they haven’t put a cap on those fees.

 This despite the fact that there already are two private lawsuits challenging the map.

 How much might it cost?  House Speaker Andy Tobin, a guy who’s particularly incensed by the maps, “couldn’t estimate the cost of the lawsuit.”

 No problem, though, right Andy?  No money from your pocket, after all.

 The Republicans let the cat out of the bag, however; the intent of the lawsuit, says Republican Sen. Frank Antenori, is to “challenge the authority of the commission.  He, like many other Republicans, believe that duty is the legislature’s alone.”

 Except, of course, for one thing:  Voters overwhelmingly approved the Redistricting Commission back in 2000. 

 But, like anything else voters have done that Republicans don’t like, Frank and the Boys simply  ignore it.

 Or spend our money fighting it.

 What a farce.