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
Pennsylvania’s Million Dollar Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying Failure
From 1998-2002, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania spent no money on lobbying the federal government (although independent agencies – the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the Higher Education Assistance Agency –…
Media
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Pet Projects Lap Up Funds
State Legislators awarding funds to pet projects flies in the faces of Pennsylvanians who want their state to eliminate a deficit before tapping revenue for pet projects. Capitolwire (subscription)…
Media
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The Real Problem with the Specter Library
As part of the state budget deal, Gov. Rendell secured $600 million in new borrowing for pork-barrel projects, including $10 million for the "Arlen Specter Library" at Philadelphia University and…
Commentary
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State Feeds Addiction by Creating A New Bureaucracy
Pennsylvania will soon be introduced to a new state bureaucracy. As lawmakers were finishing up the state budget, legislation was overwhelmingly approved and later signed by the Governor, to…
Media
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Government Fraud Continues in LIHEAP
Pennsylvania is rather familiar with welfare fraud, and apparently, we haven’t learned our lesson yet. The latest example of welfare fraud stems from the Low Income Home Energy…
Media
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Report: Colleges key to local, state economy
Media Hit
Read More: Report: Colleges key to local, state economyRegulation
Is. Rep. Turzai a Drug Pusher?
In another over-the-top criticism of liquor store privatization, Don Wert of Pennsylvanians Concerned about Alcohol Problems attacked Rep. Mike Turzai’s proposal to license private stores to sell wine and…
Media
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Pennsylvania pension bill’s aid slight next year
Topics on this page Pennsylvania…
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Tom Corbett is Right on Unemployment
Yesterday, PA Gubernatorial Candidate Tom Corbett made remarks about how unemployment benefits result in higher higher unemployment, recorded by Scott Detrow, and picked up on by Capitol Ideas,…
Media
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Charters vs. Private School Choice
Martha Woodall, in her recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, notes that Philadelphia parents are craving more school choice options. In a new Pew Charitable Trusts study, 62%…
Media
Read More: Charters vs. Private School ChoiceGovernment Accountability
Gubernatorial Candidates Criticize RCAP
In a somewhat welcome surprise, both candidates for governor (Onorato and Corbett) criticized Rendell’s RCAP projects in the budget amounting to some $300 million dollars. The political legacy projects are the…
Media
Read More: Gubernatorial Candidates Criticize RCAPTaxes & Economy
The Benefits of Lower Tobacco Taxes
Gov. Rendell hailed the budget, as he signed it into law on Tuesday. However, Rendell isn’t all smiles– the Governor lamented the fact that lawmakers failed to increase…
Media
Read More: The Benefits of Lower Tobacco TaxesEducation
Unethical Philly Superintendent Leeching Taxpayers Dry
Last school year, taxpayers gave Philadelphia School District Superintendent Arlene Ackerman $65,000 (in addition to her salary of $325,000, which could be close to $500,000 next year). But…
Media
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PennFuture: Harrisburg’s Lobbying Launderers
According to its website, PennFuture claims to have secured stronger pollution rules in state agencies; convinced legislators to pass several laws; won $80 million in utility rate cases; and convinced…
Commentary
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Gov. Rendell says $20M for Specter, Murtha projects is imperative
Topics on this page Ed Rendell…
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Read More: Gov. Rendell says $20M for Specter, Murtha projects is imperativeGovernment Accountability
Pennsylvania Leads in Spending Taxpayer Money to Lobby Congress
A new analysis from Open Secrets finds that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (i.e., our state government) led all states in spending taxpayer money on federal lobbying in the first…
Media
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