Wiener of the Week

If ever a WotW were to need a subtitle, this is the one. I call it: California's Vultures have come home to roost.

ABC News has learned that tax refunds are now on hold in California for the first time in state history, according to the state controller's office.

"Unfortunately, we have asked the California Franchise Tax Board not to send over tax refund claims beginning today because we will not be able to process them and have them out the door by Feb. 1 when a 30-day delay in tax refunds goes into effect," Hallye Jordan, spokeswoman to California State Controller John Chiang, tells ABC News.

So...why exactly is this Wiener-worthy? Because in 2007 California -- in the midst of the housing crash -- passed a budget that was an increase of 11% over the previous year. It was chock full of the kind of BS legislative thumb-sucking that CA is famous for. Then last Fall, when the economy cratered, rather than pare back the budget to pre-2007 numbers, they reduced the budget by a whopping .006%! Now they're whining (QQing is how my boys would put it) and begging for federal bailout dollars. Meanwhile, they hold back citizen's tax refunds rather than address the root problem: their government is Leviathan in size and scope and needs to be pared by half.

Congratulations California! You're the Wiener of the Week.