Idiocy Permitted

The QuizLaw blog notes an outrageous case of government idiocy.

The City of Brighton, Massachusetts halted a man's repairs to a stairway attached to his home because he had not obtained a permit for the work; when he then applied for the required permit, the City denied his application. Some time later, a burglar injured himself on the stairway while he was trying to break into the man's home and, in response, the City has cited the homeowner for having an "unsafe and dangerous" stairway.

I'm surprised by nothing about this story except that it didn't occur here in California.