Every month, the typical Missourian spends more money to maintain a personal cellphone than to maintain roads and bridges in the state.

That’s something that needs to be fixed, given the deteriorating status of our infrastructure. Missouri has the nation’s seventh-largest state highway system and the second-lowest gasoline tax.

It’s a recipe for roads, bridges and other infrastructure becoming woefully underfunded, with dire consequences for economic development and public safety.

The failure of Proposition D, a measure that would have generated more than $400 million, leaves Missouri lawmakers with few good options on highway funding. The proposition gained only 46 percent of the statewide vote. In Buchanan County, it won 51 percent support.

Some lawmakers are talking about incremental 2-cent gas tax hikes to circumvent Missouri’s Hancock Amendment that requires a statewide vote on tax increases of significant size. Others have talked about toll roads, increases to vehicle license and registration fees and fees on all-electric vehicles that don’t use gasoline.

All of these proposals share a certain spirit that enlightened lawmakers need to save the red-state hillbillies before we are swallowed by potholes. While we supported Proposition D, and we know this problem isn’t going away, we believe lawmakers should move with extreme caution on any tax increase that appears to go against the will of the people.

Before attempting an end-run on taxes, Missouri lawmakers should consider the deeply flawed nature of Proposition D.

Rushed through at the end of last year’s legislative session, the ballot language contained strange wording on tax exemptions for prizes won by Special Olympians. Officials with that organization said Special Olympic awards already are not taxed.

Then there was the decision to send Proposition D revenue to the State Road Fund, which also funds the Missouri State Highway Patrol, rather than to roads and bridges exclusively. Proponents of the tax said voters were confused by this provision and new funding for the patrol would have freed up existing funds, presumably for highways.

Can you blame voters for expressing skepticism when the message is, essentially, trust us on this one?

Gov. Mike Parson deserves credit for a practical decision to support Proposition D as the best available option, but you can only polish a turd so much.

Despite its flaws, Proposition D was closer to passing than a transportation sales tax in 2014.

With this in mind, before raising taxes, lawmakers should consider giving Missouri voters another chance at the polls. Let’s try a project-specific measure that goes exclusively to roads and bridges.