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.”
Taxes & Economy
The True Cost of Minimum Wage
If a higher minimum wage benefits workers, why not push it to $20 or $30 or even higher? Because experience shows minimum wage increases actually hurt the very workers they…
Commentary
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PODCAST: StudentsFirst on Education Reform
Part two of our conversation with Ashley DeMauro, PA state director for StudentsFirst, features an in-depth discussion of seniority reform, teacher evaluations, school transparency, and charter school reform.
Media
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Here’s the true cost of the minimum wage: Elizabeth Stelle and John R. Bouder
Topics on this page Elizabeth Stelle…
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Read More: Here’s the true cost of the minimum wage: Elizabeth Stelle and John R. BouderWelfare
War on Poverty: 50 Years of Failing People
On January 8, 1964, Lyndon Johnson launched America’s “War on Poverty.” After 50 years, it’s clear poverty is winning. After five decades and more than $20 trillion in taxpayer…
Media
Read More: War on Poverty: 50 Years of Failing PeopleEducation
Philly Schools Spending Crisis Set to Grow
$3.1 billion is a lot to spend for violent and failing schools. A Pennsylvania Independent report by Maura Pennington examines the School District of Philadelphia’s new budget and highlights…
Media
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Multiple issues confront Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled General Assembly
Topics on this page Pennsylvania…
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Read More: Multiple issues confront Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled General AssemblyPublic Union Democracy
Video: Government Unions’ Political Power Cycle
How do government union leaders use their unfair political advantage to promote bad policies? Our latest video looks at how government unions have…
Media
Read More: Video: Government Unions’ Political Power CyclePublic Union Democracy
Government Unions’ Lottery Misinformation Campagin
“Save the PA Lottery,” “Seniors pay the price,” and “Corbett’s secretive scheme” are just a few examples of how government union bosses employed scare tactics to conduct a massive misinformation…
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Read More: Government Unions’ Lottery Misinformation CampaginPublic Union Democracy
Poll: Healthy Majority Back Paycheck Protection
Pennsylvanians oppose requiring union members to contribute to political causes antithetical to their beliefs, according to Harper Polling’s year end survey conducted last month. The polling firm asked 604…
Media
Read More: Poll: Healthy Majority Back Paycheck ProtectionState Budget
Budget Burdens Bring Consequences
Know that feeling a month after Christmas when the credit card statement shows you blew your holiday budget? Imagine the pain you’d experience after six consecutive years of spending beyond…
Commentary
Read More: Budget Burdens Bring ConsequencesTaxes & Economy
EPA Regulations Threaten Pennsylvania Jobs
The prospects for Pennsylvania coal industry have gotten so bad that Tom Crooks has contemplated moving his company from the state to find greener pastures Crooks is vice…
Media
Read More: EPA Regulations Threaten Pennsylvania JobsEducation
Union Dues Exploit Teachers, Taxpayers
What if I told you that regardless of your political beliefs, several hundred dollars will be deducted from your paycheck each year to support politicians whose views you may not…
Commentary
Read More: Union Dues Exploit Teachers, TaxpayersEducation
Keeping Teachers in the Classroom
Given our still-sputtering economy, Americans have grown used to their public schools facing tight budgets. This fiscal squeeze has drawn out a hidden crisis in public education: How do we…
Commentary
Read More: Keeping Teachers in the ClassroomRegulation
2014: A Year for Pension Reform
Pension reform promises to be on the forefront of the legislative agenda in the new year, and for good reason. PSERS and SERS, the state’s two pension systems for…
Media
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Commonwealth Financing Authority’s $2.3B in state projects examined
Topics on this page Commonwealth Financing Authority…
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Read More: Commonwealth Financing Authority’s $2.3B in state projects examinedEducation
VIDEO: Charter Schools Threatened by Punitive Rules
With a waiting list 30,000 students long, you’d think Philadelphia would be working to expand the reach of charter schools. Sadly, Philadelphia’s School Reform Commission is seeking just the opposite, …
Media
Read More: VIDEO: Charter Schools Threatened by Punitive RulesEducation
Top 5 Articles of 2013
Yesterday, we gave you the 5 most popular blog posts of 2013. Today, we are highlighting the 5 most read articles of 2013 on our website. 1) The (Growing)…
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Governor Corbett ends bid that would privatize the lottery
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