Democrats and their tax-loving friends in the media will tell you it’s just a few pennies state lawmakers want to add to the sky-rocketing cost of gasoline, plus more fees for online purchases, food deliveries, and Uber.

But those pennies would accumulate $4 billion for politicians to spend on as-yet-to-be-specified projects that fall into the general category of transportation.

When Coloradans fill up their gas tanks with 15 gallons of unleaded fuel, $6 of their total is already going towards state and federal taxes. 

That’s with 22 cents a gallon in state taxes and 18 cents in federal taxes.

The new proposal Democrats and Gov. Polis are pushing through the state legislature would add another 8 cents to the gas tax, bringing the total tax per gallon to 48 cents. 

But wait, there’s more!

The tax package also includes:

  • 25 cents for delivery services including Grubhub, Amazon, even FedEx.
  • 30 cents for Uber and Lyft rides.
  • $9 annual fee on electric fees that jumps to $90 in ten years.

Those pennies sure add up fast!

Here’s how the $4 billion would be spent:

  • $2.7 billion would go into a fund for as-yet-named transportation projects.
  • $366 million for “multimodal transportation projects.”
  • $323 million for electric-vehicle charging infrastructure.
  • $320 million for fleet-electrification incentives. 
  • $106 million towards meeting air quality standards.
  • $81 million for public transit.

The public won’t get a chance to vote on the proposal. Lawmakers plan to pass the taxes and fees through legislative fiat, making an end run around the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.