The problem with publishing bugfixes separate from new features is that you end up with an ever expanding tree to maintain, and you eventually run into problems

The problem with publishing bugfixes separate from new features is that you end up with an ever expanding tree to maintain, and you eventually run into problems where bugs become intertwined with features and the right thing to do is extremely hard. It's a little much to ask from an unpaid open source maintainer, and if you really want it that bad you should be willing to pay for it. Companies like Red Hat have made a living off of people willing to make that tradeoff.