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.” 

Taxes & Economy

Marcellus Drilling Rescues Williamsport

  • December 27, 2011

Earlier this month, I visited Williamsport, home of the Little League World Series and a growing economy. Clearly it’s not just baseball that brightens this central Pa. city…

Media

Read More: Marcellus Drilling Rescues Williamsport

Education

PSEA Exposed: Vex, Lies and Audio Tape

  • Priya Brannick
  • December 22, 2011

Nestled in the $4.2 million the Pennsylvania State Education Asssociation spent in 2010-11 on political activities are some very telling expenditures on polling firms.  For example, remember the much-touted…

Media

Read More: PSEA Exposed: Vex, Lies and Audio Tape

Why Gov. Corbett Didn’t Get His Christmas Wish List

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • December 22, 2011

For Christmas this year, Gov. Tom Corbett hoped the legislature would gift wrap three things he could tie a bow on:  An education reform package that included school vouchers, state…

Commentary

Read More: Why Gov. Corbett Didn’t Get His Christmas Wish List

Health Care

No Rush on Health Insurance Exchanges

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • December 22, 2011

In late November the Department of Insurance announced that Pennsylvania would begin implementing a state health insurance exchange as laid out in PPACA (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care…

Media

Read More: No Rush on Health Insurance Exchanges

Taxes & Economy

Drilling Regulations in Pennsylvania vs. Neighbors

  • December 21, 2011

Marcellus Shale opponents often mislead the public with claims such as the industry doesn’t pay taxes (debunked here), the economic benefits are overstated (read here,…

Media

Read More: Drilling Regulations in Pennsylvania vs. Neighbors

Boardwalk Empire Eyes Bourbon Bust

  • December 21, 2011

In 1933, a board game called Monopoly was created and Pennsylvanians took pride in seeing Keystone State references throughout.  Sadly, another monopoly board game was created that year called the…

Media

Read More: Boardwalk Empire Eyes Bourbon Bust

Government Accountability

More on Hellholes, of the Judicial Sort

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • December 21, 2011

The yearly Judicial Hellhole report from the American Tort Reform Foundation ranks Philadelphia as the number one judicial hellhole for the second year in a row. Pennsylvania’s court…

Media

Read More: More on Hellholes, of the Judicial Sort

Government Accountability

Redistricting Reform Needed…Four Years Ago

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 20, 2011

The Pennsylvania House is expected this week to to pass the Congressional redistricting bill. House Democrats, in the minority, are complaining about the gerrymandering of the new map.

Media

Read More: Redistricting Reform Needed…Four Years Ago

Union Party vs. Taxpayer Party: PA’s Political Paradigm

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • December 20, 2011

If you don’t receive our Weekly Update every Monday via email, here’s what you missed yesterday.  If you want to get these updates directly, sign up here. Dear…

Media

Read More: Union Party vs. Taxpayer Party: PA’s Political Paradigm

Regulation

Time to End Borrowing for Corporate Welfare

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 19, 2011

The Pa. House is expected to vote this week on SB 1054, legislation to authorize $1.66 billion in state borrowing for the “capital budget.” The annual cost of this…

Media

Read More: Time to End Borrowing for Corporate Welfare

Education

The Growing Lobbying Might of the PSEA

  • Priya Brannick
  • December 19, 2011

The Pennsylvania State Education Association, the state’s largest government union with 192,000 members, spent an astonishing $2.6 million in 2009-10 on “political activities and lobbying.” If that seems like a…

Media

Read More: The Growing Lobbying Might of the PSEA

Welfare

Protecting Medicaid for the Poor

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • December 19, 2011

The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare has trimmed Pennsylvania’s Medicaid rolls by 150,000 people since August. Welfare spending advocates and organizations receiving welfare dollars…

Media

Read More: Protecting Medicaid for the Poor

Public Union Democracy

County Data Shows Prevailing Wage Hikes Costs

  • Priya Brannick
  • December 16, 2011

We have documented the racist origins of Pennsylvania’s prevailing wage law, how it artificially raises the costs of taxpayer-funded construction projects by 20 percent (or approximately $1 billion…

Media

Read More: County Data Shows Prevailing Wage Hikes Costs

Know Choice, Know Freedom, No Choice, No Freedom

  • December 14, 2011

Parents with kids trapped in failing and violent schools are pleading with PA House members today to throw them an educational lifeline before it is too late for their…

Media

Read More: Know Choice, Know Freedom, No Choice, No Freedom