The MBTA Advisory Board analyzes the potential impact of Question 3, which would cut the state sales tax from 6.25% to 3%, concludes passage and actual enactment would mean a big hit on the T, which now gets 57% of its revenue from state sales-tax revenue.

A portion of the sales tax is dedicated to the T; the board notes the T last year forestalled fare increases in part through additional revenue from the increase in the sales tax from 5% to 6.25%.

The Globe does some polling on Question 3, which would cut the sales tax from 6.25 to 3%.

The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation says Question 3, which would cut the state sales tax from 6.25 to 3%, would leave us heading over the cliff:

Voter approval of Question 3 would result in across-the-board cuts of approximately 30 percent in virtually all state programs, including local aid, higher education, human services, prisons, courts, environmental protection, and state parks and beaches.

Anita Patel reports from Boylston Street on the first of our tax-free days. Urbanity Dance reports they were giving out free Smart Water.

Ed. true confession: We need a new refrigerator. We "bought" one on Thursday to avoid the rush today; salesman said they would hold our "proposal" until this morning, then ring it in.

From press release of Carla Howell's Center For Small Government

Today, at 10:30am at the Elections Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Carla Howell and several volunteers filed the last batches of validated signatures for this petition drive.

"We filed a bullet-proof, challenge-proof number of signatures for our ballot initiative to roll back the sales tax from 6.25% to 3%," said Carla Howell.

"We needed 66,593 validated signatures to qualify. Today, we turned in the last of over 75,978 validated signatures - 9,385 more signatures than the law requires."

The tax on meals, already set to increase to 6.25% next month, will go up to 7% Oct. 1 under a plan released today by Mayor Menino to combat a drop in state aid.

Who knew the state legislature was full of such delicate flowers?

And nobody knows that more than people in the news business, who cannot do math to save their lives (raises hand). So, it's probably not surprising we're now seeing stuff like this AP headline: MA House to debate 1.25 percent sales tax hike.

No, guys, they're not debating a 1.25% sales tax hike. They're debating a 25% sales tax hike. Go divide 1.25 by 5 and tell us what you get for an answer. Or go talk to one of your Wall Street reporters about percentage points (or "basis points" or whatever they call them).

House considers raising sales tax 40%, the Globe reports.

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