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
Who are the Tea Party Members?
Much has been said and made of the Tea Party movement over the past year and especially over the last several months, much by those who have no idea what…
Media
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Would taxing extraction be boon or doom?
Media Hit
Read More: Would taxing extraction be boon or doom?Education
Monitoring Charter Schools
Last month, PA Independent highlighted Senate Bill 1156, which would create a committee to monitor Pennsylvania charter schools. This was in response to the mismanagement of a number of…
Media
Read More: Monitoring Charter SchoolsGovernment Accountability
Grand Jury Demands Legislative Reform
The long-awaited grand jury report written in response to the Bonusgate trials has declared that the grossly inefficient Pennsylvania legislature needs an overhaul. The grand jury wrote, “The current…
Media
Read More: Grand Jury Demands Legislative ReformState Budget
PA House Democrats Try to Ram Through Tax Hikes
May 25, 2010–Last night, the Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee — on a straight party line vote, with only Democrat support — amended into a bill (HB 325) related to volunteer…
Press Release
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PSEA chief ignores much of what will raise property taxes
Topics on this page Pennsylvania State Education Association…
Media Hit
Read More: PSEA chief ignores much of what will raise property taxesPublic Union Democracy
Union Boss Honored for Decline in Union Membership
Yesterday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a crucial piece of legislation – a resolution honoring our old “friend” Bill George, outgoing head of the PA AFL-CIO. What…
Media
Read More: Union Boss Honored for Decline in Union MembershipGovernment Accountability
Pennsylvania Budget Presentation
Below you can find my latest version of a presentation on the Pennsylvania state budget and economic policy. PA Budget and…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Budget PresentationGovernment Accountability
The Real “Special Interest” Problem in PA
Everyone loves to hate "special interests." They spend millions of dollars in electing and lobbying public officials in order to gain political or legislative favor. So it was no surprise…
Commentary
Read More: The Real “Special Interest” Problem in PAState Budget
PA House Republicans’ Cost Savings Plan
In an attempt to balance the state budget without raising taxes, the House Republican Caucus has developed a plan to reduce spending in the Pennsylvania State Budget. One interesting…
Media
Read More: PA House Republicans’ Cost Savings PlanTaxes & Economy
Another Commercial Produced by PA Government
I caught another TV commercial produced by Pennsylvania state government the other night. This one is intended to scare viewers who are thinking of committing insurance fraud…and make the…
Media
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Most Pennsylvanians are Right Wing Extremists
If one listens to analysts in the mainstream media, anyone calling for a repeal of the federal health care law, or supporting a state immigration law like Arizona’s is on…
Media
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State’s growing public pension problems to be discussed at PEL lunch in Williamsport
Topics on this page Williamsport…
Media Hit
Read More: State’s growing public pension problems to be discussed at PEL lunch in WilliamsportTaxes & Economy
Who is Adding Jobs in PA?
The latest BLS report on state jobs is out, and is pretty good news for Pennsylvania, which added 34,000 jobs (seasonally adjusted) in April – 2nd most among the…
Media
Read More: Who is Adding Jobs in PA?Regulation
The Failure of Economic Development Incentives
With budget season upon us, politicians are scrambling for new revenue sources or programs to cut. “The Failures of Economic Development Incentives,” a 2004 report by Alan Peters and…
Media
Read More: The Failure of Economic Development IncentivesTaxes & Economy
Corbett v. Rendell: Who is Right on PA’s Economy?
In his acceptance speech Tuesday night, Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett vowed to get Pennsylvania’s economy back on track after years of stagnation and misguide policy decisions. Gov. Rendell…
Media
Read More: Corbett v. Rendell: Who is Right on PA’s Economy?Public Union Democracy
Obama’s Run-Around of Congress
Q: What do Card Check and Net Neutrality have in common? A: They are bad policy ideas Congress won’t pass, yet the White House is finding ways to work…
Media
Read More: Obama’s Run-Around of CongressTaxes & Economy
Specter to Blame for Specter’s Demise
We try not to engage too much in political punditry here, but the latest Terry Madonna and Michael Young Politically Uncorrected piece, on the end of Sen. Arlen Specter’s…
Media
Read More: Specter to Blame for Specter’s DemiseTaxes & Economy
Citizen’s Guide to the Tenth Amendment
The Institute for Policy Innovation has produced a short informational guide to the Tenth Amendment. The Tenth Amendment was ratified in order to guarantee individual rights and responsibilities for…
Media
Read More: Citizen’s Guide to the Tenth AmendmentGovernment Accountability
Corbett Wins, Subpoenas Twitter for Names of His Critics
As part of the Grand Jury investigation, Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett has filed a subpoena against Twitter to reveal the names of two anonymous Twitter accounts (HT…
Media
Read More: Corbett Wins, Subpoenas Twitter for Names of His Critics