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
School Choice: Why, What, and How
Nine of the 10 "gold standard" evaluations of voucher programs reported statistically significant gains in achievement for all or some voucher recipients. In 18 out of 19 academically rigorous studies,…
Fact Sheet
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Senate Bill 1: Analysis & Recommendations
Senate Bill 1, The Opportunity Scholarship Act sponsored by Sen. Jeff Piccola (R) and Sen. Tony Williams (D), would expand scholarships available to children in lower- and middle-income families through…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Senate Bill 1: Analysis & RecommendationsTaxes & Economy
A Tax by Any Name Should Still Smell Defeat
State Senator Gene Yaw is pitching a new natural gas tax. The idea is to allow local communities to include the value of natural gas in property tax assessments,…
Media
Read More: A Tax by Any Name Should Still Smell DefeatEducation
Even with Act 1, School Property Taxes Climb
The Patriot News takes a look at the failure of Act 1 of 2006 (special session) to slow the growth of school property taxes. Indeed, since the slots law…
Media
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Obama’s Energy Agenda
President Obama traveled to Penn State University yesterday to discuss his energy agenda and unveil his new taxpayer funded program incentivizing states to retrofit commercial buildings for energy efficiency.
Media
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Get off the bench and rise to the Opportunity
Media Hit
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With Government Booze, Consumers Lose
It’s funny how we keep hearing union mouthpiece Wendell Young proclaim how much an asset full government control over the liquor sales business is to Pennsylvania consumers, yet consumers still…
Media
Read More: With Government Booze, Consumers LoseRegulation
Pennsylvania Pensions & Politics: Groundhog Day Edition
Here is Rick Dreyfuss’s latest version of his presentation, Pensions & Politics: Managing “Generational Theft” given today to the Emerald Investment Forum.
Media
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The Evidence on School Vouchers
Here is a letter I submitted to the Philadelphia Daily News to correct some “facts” about school choice: Elmer Smith’s column denouncing a school choice proposal…
Media
Read More: The Evidence on School VouchersHealth Care
More Bad News for ObamaCare
After Judge Roger Vinson declared that the entire healthcare overhaul is unconstitutional, Heritage analyst Conn Carroll explained how the decision effectively stops implementation in states (including Pennsylvania) that…
Media
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Prisons are busting Pennsylvania’s budget
Topics on this page Pennsylvania…
Media Hit
Read More: Prisons are busting Pennsylvania’s budgetRegulation
Reviewing the Evidence on Liquor Privatization
CF President & CEO Matt Brouillette will be debating Wendell Young, President of the UFCW 1776 (the state liquor store employee union) on liquor privatization on PCN TV tonight…
Media
Read More: Reviewing the Evidence on Liquor PrivatizationEducation
Union Dues for More Lobbyists
Last month, the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) announced it was raising mandatory dues on teachers and school employees by 11%. Where is that money going? You’d better believe…
Media
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Midstate residents split on bike and walking projects: waste of resources or solid path toward future
Media Hit
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School Choice & Competition Improve ALL Schools
On Friday, Andrew Lefevre blogged about a woman who was sentenced to jail for lying about her zip code in hopes of sending her daughters to a better school.
Media
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Environoia Steals Steeler Thunder
National sport championship games such as the World Series or Super Bowl often bring out the mayors or governors of the contenders’ cities for bets on their home teams, usually…
Media
Read More: Environoia Steals Steeler ThunderCriminal Justice Reform
Criminal Justice Reform Needed
Auditor General Wagner has warned the Governor and state legislators to begin using alternative-sentencing instead of long-term prison sentences for non-violent offenders, in order to control the ballooning prison…
Media
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Retiree medical benefits could plague future budgets
Media Hit
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You Know That There is Something Wrong with the Education System if?
You’re willing to risk going to jail in order to send your child to a better school. A national story out of Ohio that broke earlier this week has the…
Media
Read More: You Know That There is Something Wrong with the Education System if?Taxes & Economy
Counties Lobby for Marcellus Tax (Fee)
This week, county officials repeatedly asked the Senate Majority Policy Committee for more revenue, principally from a “fee” on natural gas extraction. Of the 12 testifiers speaking on local…
Media
Read More: Counties Lobby for Marcellus Tax (Fee)