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.” 

Why I Support A Dues Deduction Ban

  • September 13, 2013

I have been a teacher in the public schools for 22 years. For 16 of those years I chose to not be in the PSEA/NEA. Instead, I belonged to a…

Media

Read More: Why I Support A Dues Deduction Ban

Education

Let Teachers Make Their Own Union Choices

  • September 12, 2013

Joe Connolly is a public high school guidance counselor in central Pennsylvania. His school district recently introduced “fair share fees” for non-union workers—meaning educators like Joe will now be forced…

Media

Read More: Let Teachers Make Their Own Union Choices

Taxes & Economy

Fracking Helps Poor More than Government Programs

  • Gordon Tomb
  • September 10, 2013

The natural gas boom spawned by free enterprise and new technology is doing more to help the poor than LIHEAP, a decades-old welfare program, according to the Wall…

Media

Read More: Fracking Helps Poor More than Government Programs

Public Union Democracy

Is Paying Only $2.50 for Health Care Unreasonable?

  • Priya Brannick
  • September 10, 2013

If you’ve been watching back-to-school news, you’ve probably heard that teachers unions in three Pennsylvania school districts—Shaler Area, Wyoming Area and Old Forge—have gone on strike. Like…

Media

Read More: Is Paying Only $2.50 for Health Care Unreasonable?

Regulation

Say it ain’t so! Joe Makes Bank from the PLCB

  • September 6, 2013

Remember PLCB CEO Joe Conti? Boondoggles like wine kiosks and inventory shortages should spring to mind. After six years of these and other questionable decisions that remain under…

Media

Read More: Say it ain’t so! Joe Makes Bank from the PLCB

Regulation

After Detroit, how about 401(k)s for public workers?

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • September 6, 2013

As another Labor Day comes to pass, it's worth reflecting on the legacy of Detroit and its workers. Detroit's bankruptcy is a warning to other cities—and even states—that public…

Commentary

Read More: After Detroit, how about 401(k)s for public workers?

Regulation

The Perplexing Problem with Pensions

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 5, 2013

Traditional pensions are plagued by their dependence on guesswork—estimates on economic growth, employee behavior, and investment return—writes Grove City economist Mark Hendrickson in a recent piece. The errors in…

Media

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Regulation

Video: Wine Expert on Privatization

  • September 5, 2013

How does it feel to earn a failing grade? Every Pennsylvanian should know—we recently received an “F” in wine consumer friendliness in a report by the American Wine…

Media

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Health Care

Losing the War on Poverty

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 5, 2013

Bad welfare policy is robbing Pennsylvanians of a better life. Last month, the Cato Institute’s Welfare vs. Work Tradeoff study revealed Pennsylvanians can make more money collecting welfare than…

Media

Read More: Losing the War on Poverty

Public Union Democracy

“Money in Politics” Fosters Big Government

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 3, 2013

You probably hear a lot about “money in politics,” but rarely do pundits correctly identify the largest source of special interest political spending.  According to a new report, big labor…

Media

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Health Care

Mailbag: Burdens of Obamacare

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 3, 2013

Below are few of the most common questions I’ve received in response to my Philadelphia Inquirer op-ed on the failure of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to help low-income…

Media

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Education

Are Cyber School Students Second-Class Citizens?

  • August 30, 2013

Editor’s Note: Jake Swink is a summer intern at Commonwealth Foundation and, starting in September, will be an active duty 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force specializing in cyber…

Media

Read More: Are Cyber School Students Second-Class Citizens?

Health Care

Burdens of Obamacare – Commentary

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 30, 2013

Say you’re working your way through college, supplementing student loans with a part-time job managing inventory at Wegmans. You make a decent hourly wage, but your health insurance benefits are…

Commentary

Read More: Burdens of Obamacare – Commentary