State Sen. Fred Berry, D-Peabody, is 100 percent correct when he says Big Dig costs should be financed by a broad-based tax, like that assessed on the sale of gasoline, rather than through tolls that only affect those who commute to Boston from the north or west.

But being a realist, the state's senior senator knows a gas tax hike is not in the cards anytime soon, and more likely his constituents and others who use the Tobin Bridge, harbor tunnels and Massachusetts Turnpike to get into the city, will find themselves having to fork over an extra dollar each day come the first of the year. So he's filed a bill giving regular commuters a break.

The Turnpike and Port authorities have said they will think about it. But Berry and other area legislators, including Reps. Tom McGee, D-Lynn; Doug Petersen, D-Marblehead; and Ted Speliotis, D-Danvers, would rather not give them a choice. So they've filed legislation mandating discounts for those using "Fast Lane" transponders that assess tolls electronically, and those who carol to work.

More controversial, but reasonable nonetheless, is a provision to reinstitute Turnpike tolls at certain western Massachusetts locations and have a portion of that revenue go towards the Big Dig's burgeoning deficit. For every resident of Massachusetts, indeed every person who has occasion to visit the state, has a stake in improving the transportation infrastructure in and around New England's largest city.