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.”
Health Care
Medicaid Expansion is Risky Business
Both Republicans and Democrats have recently engaged in some risky business by pushing for the Medicaid expansion. They’ve been quick to assure state taxpayers they won’t be left with an enormous…
Media
Read More: Medicaid Expansion is Risky BusinessEducation
School Districts’ Fund Balances Grow Despite Budget Squeeze
Despite claims of severe budget cuts, school districts’ fund balances—their rainy day funds—grew last year. School districts increased their fund balances in 2011-12 by more than $200 million. As of…
Media
Read More: School Districts’ Fund Balances Grow Despite Budget SqueezeRegulation
New Senate Liquor Proposal Still Falls Short, Part Deux
The Senate’s latest liquor proposal is out, but from the consumer perspective, leaves much to be desired. The plan does not get government out of the booze business. Although…
Media
Read More: New Senate Liquor Proposal Still Falls Short, Part DeuxEducation
The Truth on Cyber School Performance
Here is a letter to the editor I submitted to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Pennsylvania cyber school performance: Mary Niederberger reports on a new, largely positive charter school study…
Media
Read More: The Truth on Cyber School PerformanceRegulation
Podcast: Where Does Pension Reform Stand?
On this BOX Program podcast, Representative Fred Keller (R) 85th District, joins Nathan Benefield to break down what’s been happening in the legislature on pension reform. Both the House and…
Media
Read More: Podcast: Where Does Pension Reform Stand?Education
Burger Flipper or National Merit Scholar?
Mechanicsburg student Colin Knott is a National Merit Scholar—putting him in the top one percent of students nationwide—and already has 25 college credits under his belt prior to his first…
Media
Read More: Burger Flipper or National Merit Scholar?Government Accountability
What Can You Do?
The next hours and days could dramatically shape Pennsylvania’s future, but will it be for the better? As time winds down before the final budget passes, several critical issues hang…
Media
Read More: What Can You Do?Education
Public School Staffing Up, Enrollment Down
In the last two years, schools have reduced their total staffing. Yet despite this short-term decline, public school staff has increased by more than 17,000 since 2000. Over the…
Media
Read More: Public School Staffing Up, Enrollment DownRegulation
Pension Reform Benefits Workers and Taxpayers
Pennsylvania’s two main government worker pension systems, the Public School Employee Retirement System (PSERS) and the State Employee Retirement System (SERS), together have more tha than $47 billion in unfunded…
Media
Read More: Pension Reform Benefits Workers and TaxpayersGovernment Accountability
Mailbag: That “Delaware Loophole” Thingamajig
A few readers responded to my op-ed on corporate tax reform, asking “If you want fairness, why don’t you support ‘ending the Delaware Loophole’?” Unfortunately, many believe that the…
Media
Read More: Mailbag: That “Delaware Loophole” ThingamajigEducation
The Canard of Corbett’s Education Cuts
Despite the popular claim that Gov. Corbett “cut $1 billion” in education spending in the state budget, state funding for public schools is at an all-time high. In 2011-12, federal…
Media
Read More: The Canard of Corbett’s Education CutsTaxes & Economy
Double Taxation = Double Trouble for PA Businesses
It can’t be easy being a business owner in Pennsylvania. Combined with the federal tax rate, Pennsylvania businesses pay the second highest tax rate on their profits in the entire…
Media
Read More: Double Taxation = Double Trouble for PA BusinessesRegulation
Putting Pension Projections in Perspective
Critics of pension reform cite certain actuarial reports claiming that shifting new employees to a defined contribution plan (like a 401(k) in the private sector) will actually cost taxpayers more. …
Media
Read More: Putting Pension Projections in PerspectiveRegulation
Senate Liquor Proposal Passes Committee
This afternoon, Sen. Charles McIlhinney’s liquor sales reform proposal passed out of committee by a vote of 6-5. Changes are expected to be made to the bill – changes we…
Media
Read More: Senate Liquor Proposal Passes CommitteeEducation
6 Trends in Public School Spending
The Pennsylvania Department of Education recently updated files from public schools’ annual financial reports and enrollment reports. Here are six key trends from those data.
Memo
Read More: 6 Trends in Public School SpendingEducation
SAT Scores by State 2012
EDITORS NOTE: Click here for the 2014 SAT Scores by state How did states compare on the SAT in 2012? The College Board’s 2012 annual report on college and…
Media
Read More: SAT Scores by State 2012Education
Happy National Employee Freedom Week, America
National Employee Freedom Week is about informing workers about their rights and empowering them to exercise their freedoms. Ultimately, there are ways for workers to leave the Hotel California. We…
Commentary
Read More: Happy National Employee Freedom Week, AmericaRegulation
PLCB Ultimatum: Our Way or the Highway
With the PLCB, control is the name of the game—in more ways than one. Not content with having both hands—retail and wholesale—in wine and liquor sales in the state, now,…
Media
Read More: PLCB Ultimatum: Our Way or the Highway