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.”
Regulation
Audio: Gov. Wolf’s Vetoes Keep the Status Quo Alive
Gov. Wolf promised to be a governor who would eliminate Pennsylvania’s destructive status quo. So how did he respond when state legislators put a budget without tax increases, a bill…
Media
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Uber lowers fares in Pittsburgh
Topics on this page PittsburghUber…
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Pennsylvania Should Address School Funding Inequities with Urgency
Media Hit
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Plan to modernize Pennsylvania liquor stores could include higher prices
Topics on this page Pennsylvania…
Media Hit
Read More: Plan to modernize Pennsylvania liquor stores could include higher pricesEducation
Fixated on Tax Increases
At the end of last month, Gov. Wolf vetoed the Republicans’ budget, criticizing it for failing to meet his lofty goals of closing the structural deficit, increasing education funding…
Media
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The Illustrated Pennsylvania State Budget
There’s a lot of misinformation being thrown around about the Pennsylvania state budget and education spending. While folk are entitled to their own opinions, they aren’t entitled to their own…
Media
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Pennsylvania Legislature’s 2005 pay raise remembered
Topics on this page Pennsylvania General Assembly…
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Wolf’s ‘My Way or the Highway’ Approach Blocks Progress
In his 2015 budget address, Gov. Tom Wolf urged dissenters, “If you don’t agree with my ideas, here is my request: please come with your own ideas. It's not good…
Commentary
Read More: Wolf’s ‘My Way or the Highway’ Approach Blocks ProgressGovernment Accountability
Transparency 10 Years after the Pay Raise
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the midnight pay raise. Although it was ultimately repealed, the pay raise was a dark hour in Pennsylvania political history. Over the…
Media
Read More: Transparency 10 Years after the Pay RaiseEducation
Ink Running Dry on Wolf?s Veto Pen
Gov. Tom Wolf’s veto pen may be running out of ink. In the span of one week, Pennsylvania’s “different kind of governor” vetoed a no-tax-hike budget, liquor privatization,…
Media
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Lawmakers, stakeholders, react to Wolf’s liquor legislation veto
Media Hit
Read More: Lawmakers, stakeholders, react to Wolf’s liquor legislation vetoPublic Union Democracy
Gov. Wolf Does Understand Economics
Last Thursday, Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed legislation passed by the general assembly that would allow private retailers to sell wine and liquor. As my colleague Bob pointed out,…
Media
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Poor Excuses Used to Prolong PLCB’s Power
Gov. Wolf missed an opportunity to be a different kind of governor. He was positioned to finally end the corrupt and inefficient state-controlled liquor system. He opted…
Media
Read More: Poor Excuses Used to Prolong PLCB’s PowerRegulation
Wolf Vetoes Liquor Independence
Wolf Vetoes Liquor Independence Refuses to Separate Booze and State Governor Wolf today vetoed legislation to finally end Pennsylvania’s Prohibition-era, government-run monopoly of wine and spirits. “Governor Wolf…
Press Release
Read More: Wolf Vetoes Liquor IndependenceRegulation
Growing Bipartisan Support for Municipal Pension Reform
On Tuesday, a task force spearheaded by Auditor General Eugene DePasquale released its recommendation for municipal pension reform. The report recommends, among other things, more transparency and accountability in municipal…
Media
Read More: Growing Bipartisan Support for Municipal Pension ReformPublic Union Democracy
Pivotal Pension Reform Passes to Wolf
Yesterday, the General Assembly passed landmark legislation to free homeowners from skyrocketing property taxes, make school budgets go further, and protect public employees from politics. SB 1 bill reforms…
Media
Read More: Pivotal Pension Reform Passes to WolfRegulation
One Signature Will End PA’s Prohibition
The Pennsylvania legislature made history yesterday. For the first time since the creation of the state-controlled liquor system in 1933, both houses of the General Assembly voted to remove government…
Media
Read More: One Signature Will End PA’s ProhibitionEducation
Gov. Wolf, Don’t Raises Taxes on Working People
My letter to the editor in the Pocono Record tackles some of the myths about educations spending and Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed tax increase—and why, after the House of Represented rejected…
Media
Read More: Gov. Wolf, Don’t Raises Taxes on Working PeopleState Budget
Wolf Plays Politics of the Past with Budget Veto
Wolf Plays Politics of the Past with Budget Veto Governor’s Own Plan Grossly out of Step with 49 Other States July 1, 2015, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Within hours of receiving the…
Press Release
Read More: Wolf Plays Politics of the Past with Budget VetoRegulation
Pension Reform Promises Fair,Sustainable Retirement for State Workers
Pension Reform Promises Fair,Sustainable Retirement for State Workers Protects New Employees’ Retirements from Political Manipulation Last night, the Pennsylvania Legislature sent a monumental public pension reform measure to…
Press Release
Read More: Pension Reform Promises Fair,Sustainable Retirement for State WorkersRegulation
Pa Legislature Passes Historic Liquor Privatization
Pa Legislature Passes Historic Liquor Privatization Only Governor Wolf Stands in the Way of Ending State’s Prohibition-Era Booze Monopoly Last night, the Pennsylvania General Assembly sent historic liquor privatization…
Press Release
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