News Sheet

Colorado Expands EV Rebates While You Pay More for Pizza

Lots and lots of EVs are just looking for a Boulderite who needs a rebate.
Written by Scott K. James

Colorado hikes EV rebates to $9K – funded by delivery fees. Rich Boulderites get Teslas, you pay more for pizza. Priorities, Dem-style.

The Denver Post reports that Colorado lawmakers have expanded the state’s electric vehicle rebate program just weeks after Gov. Jared Polis claimed Trump’s policies “broke my budget.” The new law increases rebates from $6,000 to $9,000 for new EVs and from $4,000 to $6,000 for used models, even though demand for EVs is sluggish outside wealthy, urban enclaves.

The twist? These rebates aren’t coming from the general fund. Oh no, Democrats have found their favorite workaround: fees. Specifically, the retail delivery fee. That means every time a Coloradan orders pizza, DoorDash, or Amazon, a slice of that transaction goes to help Boulder’s elite buy their next Tesla or Rivian. Budgeting is about priorities, and this story makes the legislature’s priorities crystal clear: keep the gravy train rolling for rich Democrats while crying poverty on everything else.

The Bullet Point Brief

  • Just weeks after slashing Medicaid and declaring there was “no money,” Polis and Democrats found $ to boost EV rebates.
  • Rebates now jump to $9,000 for new EVs and $6,000 for used ones – paid for by fees, not taxes.
  • The beloved “retail delivery fee” is footing part of the bill. Your pizza and Amazon orders are bankrolling Boulder’s four-wheeled virtue signals.
  • Demand for EVs outside Boulder and Denver remains anemic, but the subsidies flow anyway – straight to wealthier households.
  • While families struggle with bills, the legislature prioritizes subsidized virtue-signaling over fiscal sanity.

My Bottom Line

Didn’t we just endure a melodramatic, performative special session where the governor wailed that “Trump broke my budget”? Weren’t we told there was no money, none, zip, nada? We were. But the minute Democrats saw a chance to keep their donors and Boulder cronies happy, suddenly the checkbook was wide open.

This is the definition of misplaced priorities. Budgeting is about deciding what matters. Colorado Democrats decided that slashing Medicaid ads and cutting corners on the social safety net matters less than making sure wealthy EV buyers shave nine grand off their sticker price. And how do they pay for it? By taxing your pizza, your groceries, your Amazon Prime habit. That’s not just bad policy; it’s insulting.

This isn’t about clean air. It’s about virtue-signaling with someone else’s wallet. Boulder elites get their Tesla rebates. You get a bigger bill for takeout. The working stiff subsidizes the woke aristocracy, and we’re supposed to clap like trained seals. Sorry – not happening.

About the author

Scott K. James

A 4th generation Northern Colorado native, Scott K. James is a veteran broadcaster, professional communicator, and principled leader. Widely recognized for his thoughtful, common-sense approach to addressing issues that affect families, businesses, and communities, Scott, his wife, Julie, and son, Jack, call Johnstown, Colorado, home. A former mayor of Johnstown, James is a staunch defender of the Constitution and the rule of law, the free market, and the power of the individual. Scott has delighted in a lifetime of public service and continues that service as a Weld County Commissioner representing District 2.