The Supreme Judicial Court ruled today the city of Boston was wrong to try tax Veolia Energy's network of steam pipes through Boston Proper, ruling that, collectively, they are parts of a "great integral machine," which have been exempt from taxation since an 1866 ruling. Read more.

In a recent post, The Mayor's new budget -- which raises our real estate tax the maximum amount -- I asked the question: "Do residents get good value?"

Today's Globe Editorial criticizes the city's handling of fiscal issues, in particular, school renovations:

Despite tax hikes.

The Boston City Council discussed Mayor Menino's proposal to raise local meals and hotel-room taxes, but took no action on the plan so that its Committee on Government Operations can hold a hearing in August - standard procedure under council rules for new business.

Menino has proposed a 0.75% meals tax - on top of the 6.25% state tax going into effect on Saturday - and an increase of 2 percentage points in the current tax on hotel rooms. The council's Committee on Government Operations will host a hearing in early to mid August.

Because the sales tax goes up to 6.25% on Aug. 1. Also, aid to cities and towns goes down.

The Sunday Globe has a well-researched report on the value of tax exemptions and other financial breaks enjoyed by area hospital companies.

The piece gives context, and raises the question of whether hospitals should be paying more to the local government.

Weren't "user fees" levied by governments known as "taxes" back in the day?
Well, no more of that. The Commonwealth is seeing a "light" at the end of a tunnel thanks to the invention of "user fees".

The Globe's headline writer and reporter Matt Viser are willing accomplices in spreading the myth that user fees are not taxes though, curiously, most of those quoted in the article itself refer to "taxes." Expect that language to change.

House passes sales-tax increase by veto-proof margin.

Mike Ball asks that you call your legislators and tell them that's meaningless without reform: Don't let those clowns think they've done enough!

The Outraged Liberal says Patrick could win the war for losing this battle: Patrick either ultimately gets the reforms he wants from the legislature or he has a ready-made issue to use against Republican Christy Mihos next year:

... Higher turnpike polls become lawmakers' problems and they will have hell to pay for the next round of MBTA service cuts and fare hikes. Not to mention they will own the crumbling roads and bridges.

Patrick's popularity numbers may be in the tank, but no politician has ever gone wrong running against the legislature or Congress. The beleaguered Patrick has put an important downpayment on his campaign by taking a stand here. ...

Blue Mass. Group has the roll call vote.

The Outraged Liberal analyzes the apparent consensus in the legislature to raise just the sales tax, and that by 20%, even though that would hit the poor harder than people at the upper ends of the income spectrum.