Erik Telford

Media Contact
media(at)commonwealthfoundation.org

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.”

Government Accountability

Do We Spend Too Much on Politics?

November 1, 2010

Recent estimates put spending on midterm campaigns at over $3.6 billion nationally. That’s enough to buy 7.2 million I-pads, or roughly one dollar for every thousand spent by government.

Media

Regulation

Union Pension Bailout & Generational Theft

November 1, 2010

Pennsylvania's largest public pension plans—Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) and State Employees Retirement System (SERS)—are severely underfunded. But instead of reforming the defined-benefit pension system and paying down these…

Fact Sheet

Health Care

A Free Market in Health Care?!?

Nathan Benefield
November 1, 2010

A commenter on our latest Policy Points on Health Care Reform describes health care as “the free market, unregulated situation at the time the Act was passed.” I’m not…

Media

State’s Rising Debt an Albatross

November 1, 2010

Media Hit

Taxes & Economy

Ridge Claims Marcellus is Exempt From No Tax Pledge

October 29, 2010

In a recent interview, former Governor Tom Ridge said that Tom Corbett could still enact a Marcellus Shale tax without breaking his promise of no…

Media

Government Accountability

Former Rep. Jeff Coleman Rejoins Commonwealth Foundation

October 29, 2010

HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation is pleased to announce that former State Representative Jeff Coleman has rejoined the Foundation as a senior fellow. Mr. Coleman was elected to the…

Press Release

The Other Big Debate This Election Cycle– The ‘Wets’ vs. ‘Drys’

October 29, 2010

Media Hit

State Budget

Spending Cuts for the Next U.S. Congress

Elizabeth Stelle
October 29, 2010

Government debt and wasteful spending is a constant subject on PolicyBlog and is playing a large part in this year’s elections. But one thing that isn’t so common is two…

Media

Health Care

Is FactCheck Recycling Talking Points on ObamaCare?

Nathan Benefield
October 29, 2010

Here is an email I sent to FactCheck.org: Your recent article claims insurance premiums won’t go up. Are you kidding? Simple economics, or the experience of states like…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Rendell is Still Governor, I’m Still Fact-Checking

Nathan Benefield
October 28, 2010

Gov. Rendell, being bored because he can’t campaign for re-election, held another press conference, probably his four thousandth this month, to discuss the Tax Foundation’s new Business Tax Climate…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Citizens Reject “Pipeline to Nowhere”

Elizabeth Stelle
October 28, 2010

A couple of weeks ago we blogged about DEP Secretary Hanger’s plan to build a $12 million, 12 mile water line from Montrose to Dimock to serve about 14…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Newt Says No Natural Gas Tax in PA

Nathan Benefield
October 27, 2010

Yesterday, John Micek reported that Newt Gingrich expressed support for a natural gas severance tax in Pennsylvania, writing, “even Mr. Republican Revolution his ownself thinks the state should have…

Media

Regulation

It’s Never Sunny for Philadelphia’s Small Businesses

October 27, 2010

The Institute for Justice (IJ), in its new report, No Brotherly Love for Entrepreneurs, depicts just how bad the small business climate in Philadelphia has become. The city has…

Media

Taxes & Economy

State Business Tax Climate Index 2011

October 27, 2010

Yesterday, the Tax Foundation released its 2011 State Business Tax Climate Index. The study looks at five important tax areas: corporate taxes, individual income taxes, sales taxes, property taxes,…

Media

Health Care

Health Care Reform: An Update

October 27, 2010

Before enacting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said Congress had to pass the bill before we'd find out what's in…

Fact Sheet

Taxes & Economy

Never Enough Green for Renewable Energy

October 27, 2010

According to Pennsylvania's Public Utilities Commission, the annual cost of ownership for solar energy per kilowatt-hour is over 700% more than the cost of coal, and wind energy is almost…

Commentary

Beware of Looming Medicaid Increases

October 26, 2010

A recent article by the National Center for Policy Analysis showed why states are going to be bankrupted by the Medicaid provisions of the Patient Protection and…

Media

Rendell’s Meaningless Moratorium

Nathan Benefield
October 26, 2010

Yesterday, Gov. Rendell announced he would issue a “moratorium” on new gas drilling on state forest land. He must think it is a good political move to appeal to…

Media

What the heck is the Tea Party?

October 25, 2010

Topics on this page Tea Party movement…

Media Hit

Never Enough Green

October 25, 2010

Media Hit

Freedom Has Its Day

Matthew Brouillette
October 25, 2010

Over 300 of our friends and supporters joined us Saturday in Annville for CF‘s LiveFreePA, an afternoon of family-friendly fun celebrating liberty and the American spirit. There…

Media