Erik Telford

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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.” 

Education

Are Charter Schools Too Popular?

  • James Paul
  • January 16, 2015

Of the 40 applications for new charter schools in Philadelphia, surely a few should not be approved by the School Reform Commission (SRC). Each individual applicant has…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Audio: Mary’s Law Ends Unfair Political Privilege

  • Jonathan Reginella
  • January 14, 2015

Government unions have the luxury of using taxpayers’ resources—which should never be used for politics—to collect their political dues money and direct campaign contributions. Simultaneously, these unions have been wrongly…

Media

Read More: Audio: Mary’s Law Ends Unfair Political Privilege

Public Union Democracy

Union-Backed Political Group Not Accountable

  • January 14, 2015

Here’s your daily dose of irony: Pennsylvanians for Accountability, a union-backed political nonprofit, may have to pay a $50,000 fine for its lack of accountability. According to The Center…

Media

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Government Accountability

Wolf’s Multi-Million Dollar Conflict of Interest

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 13, 2015

Governor-elect Tom Wolf has come out of the gate leading a charge for ethics reform in government. But if accepting a small gift creates a conflict of interest, the gov.-elect…

Commentary

Read More: Wolf’s Multi-Million Dollar Conflict of Interest

Regulation

Doing Business in Pennsylvania Can Be Taxing

  • January 12, 2015

This post was updated to reflect the most recent data available. Tax policy may not be as exciting as discussing Golden Globe winners, but few topics rise to the level…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Disappointed and Determined

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • January 12, 2015

Today, I am both disappointed and determined. I am disappointed that it is now a mathematical impossibility for any of the reforms you and countless other Pennsylvanians have demanded to…

Media

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Health Care

Obamacare Failing Big Time

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 9, 2015

According to John Micek’s reading of a recent Gallup poll on health insurance, Obamacare is “working after all.” In reality, though, Gallup’s findings indicate that the health care overhaul…

Media

Read More: Obamacare Failing Big Time

Regulation

Liquor Privatization Reduces Operating Cost

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 8, 2015

Union leaders, copying from the same talking point memo, have repeated an identical falsehood about liquor store privatization. In two recent letters to the editor, I correct the record of…

Media

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Education

Lawmakers: Mary’s Law is Worth Fighting For

  • January 8, 2015

As a teacher, a father of kids in public schools, and a taxpayer, I urge all our elected officials to join me in standing up for what’s right. Pass a…

Commentary

Read More: Lawmakers: Mary’s Law is Worth Fighting For