State lawmakers appear to be missing a few of their senses.

The human body has five senses: taste, touch, sight, hearing and smell.

They are all tremendously valuable senses, each with an important job to keep a person aware of their surroundings.

Without taste, how could one enjoy the wonderful taste of fried catfish, or the smell of coffee brewing in the morning.

Without hearing, enjoying the sound of children playing or blues music playing would be impossible.

And of course, without sight, sunsets over the Mississippi, or along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, would mean nothing.

Such is the case with the apparent lack of sense lawmakers appear to have when it comes to funding infrastructure in the state, particularly finding ways to fund desperately needed repairs to the state’s highways and bridges.

Last year, a bill that could — emphasize the word “could” — have led to an increase in highway funding through additional gasoline taxes, died in the Legislature.

And, it appears now that any similar legislation proposed during the upcoming legislative session will find itself out of gas at the state house steps.

No one likes to pay taxes. Not a single person. Not even those who work at the Mississippi Department of Revenue or the IRS, those responsible with collecting taxes.

But, just like the roads we drive on and the bridges we cross over, taxes are a necessity.

Some lawmakers, those who are using an excuse other than “no new taxes” to argue against a gasoline tax, have now even started questioning the manner in which the Mississippi Department of Transportation is spending the pittance they receive now to maintain our roads and bridges.

Now remember, many of those arguing against new taxes are Republican lawmakers. The state is controlled by a Republican governor and a House and Senate under Republican majorities. If they believe a state agency under their control is not operating efficiently, they have only themselves to blame.

Also, the projections for a proposed new gasoline tax and vehicle license fees don’t even go far enough to meet the basic needs outlined by MDOT officials.

MDOT has said it needs even more — $526 million a year — just to prevent further deterioration. A new tax and fees would only generate an additional $375 million.

While we admit fees and taxes are painful at times, so too are delays and accidents caused by poor road conditions and failing bridges.

We must find a way to invest in this segment of our infrastructure before the price tag for repairs far outweighs any tax we could imagine or be stuck with paying.