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.”
Public Union Democracy
With Unions, the Numbers Tell the Story
Originally published at Townhall Newly released data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows union membership rates fell nationwide last year, continuing a yearslong trend. BLS’s union…
Media Hit
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Shapiro’s Budget Better Be “Competitive as Hell”
Originally published at RealClearPennsylvania Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro likes to brag about being “competitive as hell.” Unfortunately, Pennsylvania is losing—and I’m not talking about football. U.S. News &…
Media Hit
Read More: Shapiro’s Budget Better Be “Competitive as Hell”Education
More state dollars won’t create better scholars
Originally published at LNP Earlier this month, the Basic Education Funding Commission released its long-overdue recommendations regarding Pennsylvania’s fair funding formula for public schools. Unfortunately, the recommendations from the…
Media Hit
Read More: More state dollars won’t create better scholarsPublic Union Democracy
Government Unions Prioritize Politics Over Representation
Originally published at DC Journal According to an analysis of campaign finance records, government unions place a significant premium on political activism than on representing their members. This is…
Media Hit
Read More: Government Unions Prioritize Politics Over RepresentationState Budget
Commonwealth Foundation Releases Video and Materials from Nathan Benefield’s 2024 Budget Briefing
Harrisburg, Pa., January 25, 2024 — Commonwealth Foundation’s state budget expert Nathan Benefield yesterday provided reporters background on the state’s current financial situation and budget projections in anticipation of the 2024 Pennsylvania…
Press Release
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Releases Video and Materials from Nathan Benefield’s 2024 Budget BriefingEnergy
Commonwealth Foundation Urges Gov. Shapiro: Reject New Energy Taxes
Harrisburg, Pa., January 23, 2024 — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation launched a new ad campaign holding Gov. Josh Shapiro accountable for his broken promise on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The…
Press Release
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Urges Gov. Shapiro: Reject New Energy TaxesTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvanians are leaving — and economic reforms will bring them back
Originally published in The Mercury The U.S. Census Bureau found that almost 25,000 Pennsylvanians left the state last year. This exodus marks the 12th time in the past 13…
Media Hit
Read More: Pennsylvanians are leaving — and economic reforms will bring them backEducation
Politicians care about the name on the school. Parents care about what happens in the school.
Originally published at Broad + Liberty Let’s imagine that today a young girl is born in Philadelphia. We’ll call her Opal. We all wish Opal and her family well.
Media Hit
Read More: Politicians care about the name on the school. Parents care about what happens in the school.Education
Saving Billy Penn was good, but Shapiro needs to find focus on bigger problems
Originally published in the Delaware County Daily Times All eyes are on the Keystone State in 2024. Whoever wins Pennsylvania, the nation’s largest swing state, will likely occupy the…
Media Hit
Read More: Saving Billy Penn was good, but Shapiro needs to find focus on bigger problemsEducation
Don’t Believe the Myth: School Choice and Public Education Can Coexist
Originally published on Townhall During School Choice Week, let’s debunk the myth that school choice hurts public education. School choice critics see education in zero-sum terms:…
Media Hit
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Jennifer Stefano on The Dawn Stensland Show: Can Cherelle L. Parker deliver justice for Philly kids?
align-center=”” height=”102px” width=”100%” frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”> Jennifer Stefano just published her latest Philadelphia Inquirer column asking whether Philly Mayor Cherelle Parker will stand up for kids by helping to enact educational…
Media Hit
Read More: Jennifer Stefano on The Dawn Stensland Show: Can Cherelle L. Parker deliver justice for Philly kids?State Budget
Commonwealth Foundation to Brief on Gov. Shapiro’s Upcoming Budget
Harrisburg, Pa., January 18, 2024 — Commonwealth Foundation’s budget expert Nathan Benefield will host a media conference call on January 24, 2024, to discuss Gov. Josh Shapiro’s upcoming budget…
Press Release
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation to Brief on Gov. Shapiro’s Upcoming BudgetEducation
Stefano: Can Cherelle Parker deliver justice for Philly kids?
Philadelphia Inquirer columnist and Commonwealth Foundation Executive Vice President Jennifer Stefano wrote in her column this week that Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker can be a force to help enact school choice policies,…
Press Release
Read More: Stefano: Can Cherelle Parker deliver justice for Philly kids?State Budget
Takeaways from the (Mostly) Finalized 2023–24 Pennsylvania State Budget
Overview With the passage of Fiscal Code and School Code bills in December, work on the 2023–24 Pennsylvania state budget ended mostly done, six months late. The budget is as…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Takeaways from the (Mostly) Finalized 2023–24 Pennsylvania State BudgetEducation
Can Cherelle L. Parker deliver justice for Philly kids?
Originally published at The Philadelphia Inquirer Cherelle L. Parker should not be the mayor of Philadelphia. That’s not an opinion — that is the truth, as Parker herself told…
Media Hit
Read More: Can Cherelle L. Parker deliver justice for Philly kids?Education
Special Episode: School Choice with Andrew Campanella, Chairman and CEO of the National School Choice Awareness Foundation
In this special School Choice Report episode, host David Hardy and guest Andrew Campanella (Chairman and CEO of the National School Choice Awareness Foundation) explore different school choice options for…
Podcast
Read More: Special Episode: School Choice with Andrew Campanella, Chairman and CEO of the National School Choice Awareness FoundationEducation
What’s missing from the final report on basic education funding in Pennsylvania?
Originally published in The Patriot-News The Basic Education Funding Commission (BEFC) has approved its final report on distributing basic education funding for Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts. I’m concerned…
Media Hit
Read More: What’s missing from the final report on basic education funding in Pennsylvania?Energy
Biden Admin’s New Climate Rules Could Mean Big Payday For His Buddies, Burden For American Businesses
Originally published at The Daily Caller In a setback for former government officials and attorneys poised to cash in on proposed climate disclosure rules, the Securities and Exchange Commission…
Media Hit
Read More: Biden Admin’s New Climate Rules Could Mean Big Payday For His Buddies, Burden For American BusinessesEnergy
A Federal Power Grid Would be Everyone’s Worst Nightmare
Originally published at the Delaware Valley Journal When a cold snap in December 2022 caused widespread power outages, central planners eagerly called upon the federal government to play a…
Media Hit
Read More: A Federal Power Grid Would be Everyone’s Worst NightmareEducation
Basic Education Funding Commission’s Adopted Report Is a Partisan Misfire
Harrisburg, Pa., January 11, 2024 — Today, the Basic Education Funding Commission released its funding recommendations for Pennsylvania’s 500 public school districts. The commission, comprised of a bipartisan group of lawmakers and Shapiro…
Press Release
Read More: Basic Education Funding Commission’s Adopted Report Is a Partisan MisfireEducation
Education Funding in the Commonwealth
Pennsylvania Outspends the Nation on Public Schools Pennsylvania ranks among the highest-spending states on public education. According to National Center for Education Statistics data, as of fiscal year (FY) 2021,…
Backgrounder
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