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
Agriculture Still Isn’t Number One
Lowman Henry leads off a recent commentary with the legend that Agriculture is Pennsylvania’s “number one industry” and employs nearly one million workers. Readers will recall that this is…
Media
Read More: Agriculture Still Isn’t Number OneRegulation
Harrisburg’s Woes: Coming to a City Near You
Gov. Rendell's recent state bailout of the city of Harrisburg has brought attention to the capital city's fiscal mismanagement. With millions in debt payments and an enormous pension obligation, Harrisburg's…
Commentary
Read More: Harrisburg’s Woes: Coming to a City Near YouHealth Care
More Side Effects of Obamacare
Every day it seems we are hearing more bad news about the effects of the new health care reform law. From rising premiums to narrowing coverage, the side effects…
Media
Read More: More Side Effects of ObamacareRegulation
Federal Cash for State Budget Cuts?
In an Investors Business Daily piece this summer, Nicole Gelinas puts forward an interesting idea about how to stimulate the economy, and at the same time cut back on…
Media
Read More: Federal Cash for State Budget Cuts?
Bill pushes pension spike impact into future
Media Hit
Read More: Bill pushes pension spike impact into future
Public-pension changes necessary and inevitable
Media Hit
Read More: Public-pension changes necessary and inevitable
Liquor Privatization in Washington State
Media Hit
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Report says Pa. tax credits lack goals, safeguards
Topics on this page Pennsylvania…
Media Hit
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Ehrlich stings unions with pension plan
Media Hit
Read More: Ehrlich stings unions with pension planRegulation
Recap of the Pennsylvania Senate’s Busy Week
The PA State Senate had a busy week, all leading up to some key votes that took place yesterday. We have been closely following several bills and unfortunately a…
Media
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State Senate OKs bill overhauling school pensions
Media Hit
Read More: State Senate OKs bill overhauling school pensionsRegulation
RAMPing Up PA Liquor Control Board’s Monopoly Power
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, the largest supplier of alcohol in the world, recently enacted regulations to become the sole provider of its now-mandated educational program for Pennsylvania businesses, the…
Media
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Why Not A Defined Contribution Retirement Plan for Public Employees?
In a Capitolwire story about the Pennsylvania pension “reform” bill that would primarily defer costs to the future, Sen. Pat Browne says, We tried to go as…
Media
Read More: Why Not A Defined Contribution Retirement Plan for Public Employees?Education
Enlow Hammers Home the Benefits of School Choice
Yesterday in the PA Senate, Robert Enlow, President and CEO of the Foundation for Educational Choice, spoke on the issue of school vouchers and their applicability in the state…
Media
Read More: Enlow Hammers Home the Benefits of School ChoiceTaxes & Economy
Dear Gas Companies: Replenish Our Slush Fund
Among PennFuture’s justifications for demanding a natural gas tax, as Katrina mentioned earlier, is that Pennsylvania’s “Growing Greener” funding “has all been spent.” Since the program…
Media
Read More: Dear Gas Companies: Replenish Our Slush FundRegulation
How HB 2497 Costs Taxpayers $67 Billion
A supporter writes, saying he called his state Senator about HB 2497, and the lawmaker told him the bill would “save money.” As we’ve…
Media
Read More: How HB 2497 Costs Taxpayers $67 Billion
Lots More Legislation on Tap in Harrisburg this Week
As in the norm in the Pennsylvania state capitol, lawmakers don’t pass a whole lot throught the year (despite being a full-time legislature) and then, at the very end of…
Media
Read More: Lots More Legislation on Tap in Harrisburg this Week
School Choice Saves Children from Failing Schools and Taxpayer Money
Chairman Piccola, and members of the Committee, thank you for the invitation to testify today. I’m Matt Brouillette, president of the Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives. But I am…
Testimony
Read More: School Choice Saves Children from Failing Schools and Taxpayer MoneyTaxes & Economy
PennFuture Will Say Anything to Get a Gas Tax
Here’s a letter to the editor I submitted in response to inflammatory claims made by PennFuture’s Jan Jarret and AFL-CIO’s Richard Bloomingdale about a severance tax: A recent editorial…
Media
Read More: PennFuture Will Say Anything to Get a Gas Tax