Erik Telford
Senior Vice President of Public Affairs
Erik Telford is the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the Commonwealth Foundation.
Erik is a senior public affairs and communications executive with more than 15 years of diverse experience across public policy, advocacy, and public affairs institutions. Before joining the Commonwealth Foundation, Erik served as the senior vice president at Stand Together Communications, the Koch network’s marketing and communications capability. Erik has also served as the president of the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity, a state-based watchdog journalism organization. And at Americans for Prosperity, he was the executive director of RightOnline (an initiative he founded) and the director of membership and online strategy. He is currently on the board of the American Commitment Foundation.
In 2013, Campaigns & Elections Magazine honored Erik as an “Advocacy Innovator” and in 2011 as a “Rising Star in American Politics.” Politics Online named him one of the “Top 10 Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics.”
Speak Out About Gov. Wolf’s Tax Hikes
Budget 2015 Digital Ads Email Form…
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Read More: Speak Out About Gov. Wolf’s Tax HikesState Budget
Wolf Truth Squad: Tax Hikes on Working Families
UPDATE: Gov. Wolf offered a new tax proposal on October 6, 2015. Here is a summary of that plan As noted yesterday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives…
Media
Read More: Wolf Truth Squad: Tax Hikes on Working FamiliesRegulation
The Mirage of Green Jobs
Promoters of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s carbon-emission regulation attempt to playdown the jobs it would kill with promises of “green jobs”. Yet these positions pay less and are largely…
Media
Read More: The Mirage of Green JobsState Budget
Analysis: Wolf’s Latest Tax Plan Costs Families $1,000
Analysis: Wolf’s Latest Tax Plan Costs Families $1,000—Vote Next Week 14,000 Jobs Not Created as a Result October 1, 2015, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Next week, the state House plans…
Press Release
Read More: Analysis: Wolf’s Latest Tax Plan Costs Families $1,000
Tax Hike Vote: Four Things to Know
UPDATE: Gov. Wolf offered a new tax proposal on October 6, 2015. Here is a summary of that plan Legislative leaders have promised that on Wednesday October 7,…
Media
Read More: Tax Hike Vote: Four Things to KnowState Budget
Four Things to Know about Wolf’s September Tax Increase Proposal
On September 11, 2015, Gov. Tom Wolf presented legislative leaders with a second tax increase proposal—totaling$1.8 billion for the 2015-16 budget year, and a $3.2 billion net increase in 2016-17,…
Memo
Read More: Four Things to Know about Wolf’s September Tax Increase ProposalEducation
Wolf Veto = $11 Million Bill for Taxpayers
School districts have borrowed $346 million—and taxpayers will pay to pay up to $11 million in interest payments—as a result of Gov. Wolf’s budget vetoes, according to a report…
Media
Read More: Wolf Veto = $11 Million Bill for TaxpayersRegulation
Analysis of Governor Wolf’s Budget Compromise
On September 16, 28 days after receiving a budget compromise proposal from legislative Republicans, Gov. Wolf rejected that offer and issued his own plan—to hire a private contractor to manage the government…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Analysis of Governor Wolf’s Budget CompromiseState Budget
Fresh Start, or Stale Policies of Decades Past?
At the beginning of 2015, we heard a lot about a “fresh start” for Pennsylvania. But nine months later, it's difficult to identify anything fresh about Gov. Wolf's tax, borrow…
Media
Read More: Fresh Start, or Stale Policies of Decades Past?State Budget
Wolf Blocks Education Funding, Issues 6th, 7th & 8th Vetoes
Wolf Blocks Education Funding, Issues 6th, 7th & 8th Vetoes Students, Disabled, & Struggling Held Hostage by Governor’s Tax-Hike Fixation September 29, 2015, HARRISBURG, Pa.—“The answer’s no. Now,…
Press Release
Read More: Wolf Blocks Education Funding, Issues 6th, 7th & 8th VetoesState Budget
Who Will Vote to Raise Your Taxes?
Republican leadership in the General Assembly has announced they will allow a floor vote on a budget proposal that has the massive tax increases Gov. Wolf and government union leaders desire—if Democrats…
Media
Read More: Who Will Vote to Raise Your Taxes?Government Accountability
Secret Contract Leaves Taxpayers in the Dark
In a special Friday night voting session, board members in Monessen School District unanimously approved a new teachers’ contract, which runs through 2018. The terms of the contract, including…
Media
Read More: Secret Contract Leaves Taxpayers in the DarkRegulation
Government that Works?
Last week, Governor Wolf revved up his Jeep and resumed his “Government that Works” tour in Lancaster. In an ironic twist, Wolf also promised to veto a temporary funding bill…
Commentary
Read More: Government that Works?Regulation
Losers and Phony-Baloneys
Last week, Gov. Wolf unveiled new, bad policy ideas—to slightly adjust a misguided pension proposal, and to propose a private manager to a government run liquor monopoly. But just as…
Media
Read More: Losers and Phony-BaloneysPublic Union Democracy
Bringing Democracy to Pennsylvania Labor Unions
Government unions play a large role in influencing public spending and policies at the state and local level, but they are surprisingly undemocratic within their own organizations. The practice of…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Bringing Democracy to Pennsylvania Labor UnionsState Budget
Audio: A Path of Compromise
Refusing to abandon his demands for the highest tax increase in state history, Gov. Wolf continues to fuel a budget impasse that has left human-services agencies and schools without…
Media
Read More: Audio: A Path of Compromise
It’s Not Right That I Have to Pay Hundreds to Keep My Job
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Read More: It’s Not Right That I Have to Pay Hundreds to Keep My JobPublic Union Democracy
One woman’s quest to free teachers
Rebecca Friedrichs never understood her union. As a new teacher, Friedrichs noticed a teacher in the classroom next to hers was abusive towards her students. When Friedrichs tried to…
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Read More: One woman’s quest to free teachersEducation
Audio: Protecting Teachers’ Rights and Paychecks
Teacher unions are taking money from teachers to fund political causes they do not support. Through Free to Teach, teachers like James Williams and Linda Misja are speaking…
Media
Read More: Audio: Protecting Teachers’ Rights and PaychecksRegulation
New Wolf Offer, Same Bad Policy
Yesterday, 28 days after receiving a budget compromise proposal from legislative Republicans, Gov. Wolf rejected that offer and issued his own plan—hiring a private contractor to manage the government liquor…
Media
Read More: New Wolf Offer, Same Bad PolicyRegulation
Gov. Wolf Offers Status Quo Packaged as ‘Reform’
Contact: Gina Diorio, 862-703-6670, gld@comfdnprod.wpengine.com Gov. Wolf Offers Status Quo Packaged as ‘Reform’ Liquor and Pension Proposals Fall Short of Much-Needed Change Good morning, Yesterday, Governor Tom…
Press Release
Read More: Gov. Wolf Offers Status Quo Packaged as ‘Reform’