What can Bay Staters do when egomania runs wind?

Gearing up for his re-election campaign, Gov. Deval Patrick is slapping his name on highway signs, spending thousands on self-promotion as budget-strapped local officials scrape to fill potholes.

The governor’s highway promotion - defended by officials as needed reminders to motorists to drive safely - marks a quiet reversal of a ban on such taxpayer-funded vanity signs by former Gov. Mitt Romney.

Patrick has put his name on 48 construction signs throughout the state since August 2008 at a cost of $312 a piece, or about $15,000 so far.

The signs warn motorists to “drive safely,” and add, “We’re on the job for you,” in bolder script over a bright orange caution triangle.

Additionally, Patrick has spent $70,000 in federal stimulus cash to erect highway signs - at $2,700 apiece for production and installation - crediting the federal stimulus project for ongoing construction - leaving his name off but reminding voters of the work being done in the campaign-focused year ahead.

The state and federal signs are being ordered up as Massachusetts grapples with a deep fiscal crisis that has required cuts in local aid to cities and towns and a dramatic slashing of services.

“I think when the American people wanted to see if federal stimulus was working, this isn’t what they had in mind,” said John Hart, spokesman for stimulus critic U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla). “It’s classic government self promotion. It pushes the ethical envelope because it uses taxpayer dollars as a campaign ad.”

But Patrick officials said the signs allow residents to see how their money is being spent.

“We think it’s critically important that residents know their stimulus dollars are being invested immediately to create new jobs and fix our roads,” said Colin Durrant, a spokesman at the Executive office of Transportation. “We also want to be transparent about what projects are funded by federal stimulus dollars.”

UPDATE: More from NECN, the AP, the Globe and the Herald.

SECOND UPDATE: From Kevin John Sowyrda, Holly Robichaud, the Herald, the Globe, WHDH, and Matt Margolis.

THIRD UPDATE: From Patriot Games Media, WBUR and Tom Keane.