Last modified: Sunday, December 2, 2007 10:59 PM EST EDITORIAL: As usual, Bay State playing catch-up A four-part series last week on the shortcomings of Massachusetts' infrastructure system included a note that the state's tax-supported debt of $18.948 billion is the highest in the nation on a per capita basis. Get ready for that debt to rise. Gov. Deval Patrick on Friday filed a three-year, $2.9 billion transportation bond bill. There may be opportunities for the Legislature to make some nickel-and-dime cuts to the proposed bond, but they appear rare. The conditions described in last week's series make it inevitable that the bond bill will be passed relatively intact. Even though it's an exaggeration to describe the state's overall collection of roads, bridges, public buildings and the like as "crumbling," the case is still impregnable that they need a mega-infusion of cash for repairs. Out of 50 states, the Beacon Hill Institute rates Massachusetts 49th for quality of infrastructure. Ratings of bridges, dams and the quality of college buildings is equally alarming. Part of the problem is the age of the state and its roads. But some of the infrastructure issues are as new as the Ted Williams Tunnel and its rattling bolts. Meanwhile, the Big Dig, of which said tunnel was a part, siphoned money away from other transportation problems. In effect, this accelerated the deferred maintenance which transportation advocates consider the state's Number 1 problem. We've been down this road - this bumpy road that leads to substandard bridges - before. Indeed, the history of Massachusetts public infrastructure has historically followed this formula: Build, defer maintenance, then bond for repairs when they can't wait any longer. We recognize a major bonded cash infusion is needed this coming year and that the same exercise will have to be repeated as the state continues to catch up over the next several years. At the same time, the public deserves at least a good-faith gesture that a pro-active public works and transportation policy will be coming in the future. Patrick has signalled his intention to do something along this line. He is calling for a blue-ribbon commission to map transportation reforms. While waiting for that to come in, Massachusetts citizens ought still be able to expect some cost-cutting measures. Public-private partnerships in the care of state parks are one promising measure, even though they may involve some distasteful naming rights issues. Beyond that, we would like to see at least a pilot program of setting up maintenance programs - something on the idea of a state self-insured service policy - on some of the new construction done next year. Buildings and roads start deteriorating as soon as the construction is complete. That's when the Bay State should begin setting something aside for the repairs that will inevitably be needed.