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
Texas vs. Pennsylvania on Educational Performance
At a hearing yesterday on right-to-work legislation, a number of testifiers remarked on the substantially greater job growth in right-to-work states, on the fact residents are moving from…
Media
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A Decade of Success: Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit
The EITC creates partnerships between parents, businesses, and scholarship organizations. These partnerships allow funding to follow students, giving children and their families choices of schools that best fit their needs.
Fact Sheet
Read More: A Decade of Success: Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax CreditEducation
PSEA Behind Phony Grassroots Effort
In 2009-10, the PSEA spent more than $2.6 million on political activities and lobbying. By the next year, that figure had ballooned to $4.2 million, an increase of about 60%.
Media
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Public sector retirees find the going much easier
Media Hit
Read More: Public sector retirees find the going much easierRegulation
This Is What a Boom Looks Like
About half an hour ago, I was in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. (For my fellow natives of the Philadelphia area, Canonsburg is southwest of Pittsburgh, where they say “younse” instead of “youse”…
Media
Read More: This Is What a Boom Looks LikeRegulation
Understanding the Proposed Gallonage Tax
Rep. Mike Turzai’s proposal to get state government out of the business of selling liquor (HB 11) would replace current alcohol taxes and fees with a “gallonage tax.” This…
Media
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PLCB: Kiosk Chaos Continues Until Morale Improves
Would a legitimate business ignore the findings of its own contract evaluation panel that found an inexperienced vendor’s business plan “deficient,” but go on to award a contract that didn’t meet consumer demands let…
Media
Read More: PLCB: Kiosk Chaos Continues Until Morale ImprovesEducation
This is Educational Accountability?
At a recent Pennsylvania House Education Committee hearing, lawmakers questioned whether a proposed voucher program would provide “accountability”. Indeed, they want to be sure that these schools have the…
Media
Read More: This is Educational Accountability?Taxes & Economy
Pennsylvania’s Cost of Government Day
By the calculation of Americans for Tax Reform, Pennsylvania just reached its Cost of Government Day. That is, it took the average Keystone worker until Aug. 15, or 227…
Media
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Mayor of Merlot ‘Misspoke’
The Mayor of Merlot, monopolies, mediocrity and mismanagement “misspoke,” said a PLCB spokesperson of a critical portion of Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board CEO Joe Conti’s testimony to a House Liquor…
Media
Read More: Mayor of Merlot ‘Misspoke’Taxes & Economy
Welfare Fraud Persists
The LIHEAP heating assistance program is once again under fire from Auditor General Jack Wagner. A 2007 audit lead the district attorney of Philadelphia to charge 18 people with…
Media
Read More: Welfare Fraud PersistsRegulation
Conti Continues Canard Campaign
Roxbury News has posted a video of Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board CEO Joe Conti calling for “civility” from critics of the PLCB. Mr. Conti claims that without the…
Media
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Conservatives and unions in new civil war
Media Hit
Read More: Conservatives and unions in new civil warGovernment Accountability
Which Government Structure Reforms will Benefit Taxpayers?
This week, the Pennsylvania House State Government Committee held a hearing on bills to reduce the size of the General Assembly (i.e., the number of legislators). While CF did…
Media
Read More: Which Government Structure Reforms will Benefit Taxpayers?Regulation
Conti Confused by Booze Bill Backing
In a furious flip-flop fiasco that might make John Kerry blush, beleaguered booze boss and former State Sen. Joe Conti contended cluelessness in how his name appeared as co-sponsor…
Media
Read More: Conti Confused by Booze Bill BackingRegulation
PLCB Kiosk Catastrophe Contains Cover Up
The Commonwealth Foundation strongly condemned the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board today for failing to listen to advisors and covering up interagency memos recommending against a failed wine kiosk program…
Press Release
Read More: PLCB Kiosk Catastrophe Contains Cover UpTaxes & Economy
Who’s Nutty Now?
There’s a ton of chatter out there right now about how nutty the Tea Party is, most recently with 29 percent of voters saying Tea Party members are “economic…
Media
Read More: Who’s Nutty Now?