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.”
The PG doesn’t justify confiscating drillers’ money
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Tell the Truth: PennFuture’s Tax in Search of a Problem
Harrisburg, PA – Commonwealth Foundation President and CEO Matthew Brouillette was on hand Wednesday in Pittsburgh to counter claims that natural gas drilling is a scourge on the environment and…
Press Release
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Gas experts’ opinions differ, but they share skepticism of October severance tax deadline
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What Rendell Wants from a Natural Gas Tax
An AP story highlighting Gov. Rendell’s push for a natural gas tax comes with the misleading headline “Pa. gov wants gas industry to help shale towns.” Nothing of the…
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Stimulus 5.0
President Obama has proposed yet another round of stimulus spending. Of course, he won’t call it a “stimulus,” because of how unpopular that has become. Others are, erroneously,…
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General Assembly has busy agenda
Topics on this page United Nations General Assembly…
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Outsourcing Park Management a Budget Saver
With economists speculating a double dip recession, unemployment high, and a national deficit expected to reach $1.5 trillion this year, you might disapprove of unnecessary government spending, like putting…
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PA’s Highways Remain Poorly Managed
Pennsylvania ranks 38th in the nation in state highway performance and cost-effectiveness, according to Reason’s latest Annual Highway Report. While the Keystone State’s ranking remains unchanged, nationally highway…
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Pennsylvania agencies, legislators pondering budget cuts
Topics on this page Pennsylvania…
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Energy 101
Pennsylvania has always been a leading provider of America's energy. From timber and coal to the nation's first commercial oil well, and now the Marcellus Shale boom, traditional energy is…
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Four Reasons to Fight for Freedom
My husband, Matt Brouillette, often talks about four of the reasons fighting for freedom in Pennsylvania is personal for him. Their names are Miles, Liberty, Lindy Joy, and Samantha.
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School districts’ Rainy Day Funds: Too much padding or a necessary cushion?
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PennFuture’s Revised Lobbying Numbers
After ranting about alleged “egregious errors” in our report about their secret, unreported lobbying expenses and siccing their lawyer on us, PennFuture has…
Media
Read More: PennFuture’s Revised Lobbying NumbersRegulation
CF Study Helps Liquor Privatization Cause in Virginia
In order to drum up support for liquor store privatization in Virginia, Gov. Robert McDonnell is using the Commonwealth Foundation report Government-Run Liquor Stores to show that moving…
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New Report Card on American Education
ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, today released their latest Report Card on American Education. The annual report looks at both student performance and inputs into the education system, evaluating…
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A Slap in the Face to Pennsylvania Taxpayers
The Tribune Review revisits the Rendell Administration’s leasing tens of thousands of acres of state forest lands via no-bid contracts. State records the Tribune-Review obtained show that, in…
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Dan Onorato’s Natural Gas Tax
Gubernatorial Candidate Dan Onorato held a press conference yesterday announcing he supports a tax on natural gas extraction in Pennsylvania (and that he kinda-sorta opposes other tax…
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