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.”
State legislature is among nation’s most expensive
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State’s focus to fall on paying for road repairs, improvements
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Read More: State’s focus to fall on paying for road repairs, improvementsRegulation
Rendell Handouts To Harley Still Not Creating Jobs
Rendell’s handouts to Harley Davidson have been nothing short of legal plunder. Back in November 2009, $15 million in taxpayer funds were doled out…
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Read More: Rendell Handouts To Harley Still Not Creating JobsRegulation
Environmental Victories or Taxpayer Liabilities?
The left leaning group, PennFuture, recently celebrated a number “Environmental Victories,” though Pennsylvania taxpayers have little to celebrate from the new mandates and regulations. Here are some of the things…
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Numbers Guy: Effects of Smokeless Tobacco Products Overblown
The Wall Street Journal’s “Numbers Guy” takes a look at the effects of smokeless tobacco. Many supporters of a tobacco tax use the argument that it would provide public…
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Read More: Numbers Guy: Effects of Smokeless Tobacco Products OverblownEducation
Some Educating Research on Education
I’m a little behind on my reading – hence I am going through two editions of the quarterly journal Education Next. Nonetheless, there are a number of interesting and informative…
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Read More: Some Educating Research on EducationTaxes & Economy
Climate Debate Fact Check
During a climate change policy debate between CF’s Matt Brouillette and PennFuture’s Jan Jarrett, Jarrett gave the audience some misleading statements which I think should be addressed. First, Jarrett…
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Read More: Climate Debate Fact CheckTaxes & Economy
Re: Hide the Decline, Part Doh!
On Tuesday I posted about Minnesotans for Global Warming’s new parody video about Climategate hockey stick scientist Michael Mann, from Penn State. Yesterday YouTube removed the video allegedly because…
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Read More: Re: Hide the Decline, Part Doh!Regulation
Economic Development Funding – A Legacy of Waste
Earlier this month the State House passed a bill establishing the Industry Partnerships Program. Yet another Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) program will be instituted, and as…
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Read More: Economic Development Funding – A Legacy of WasteTaxes & Economy
Obstructionist PennFuture Rants Again
Yesterday PennFuture demonstrated in Pittsburgh in support of a moratorium on any new drilling on Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale natural gas formation, in an effort to “save the…
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Read More: Obstructionist PennFuture Rants AgainRegulation
Turzai Bill Would Privatize PA Liquor Stores
State Representative Mike Turzai announced legislation today to privatize Pennsylvania’s state liquor stores (i.e. wine and spirit sales). The legislation would auction off 750 retail store licenses and 100…
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Read More: Turzai Bill Would Privatize PA Liquor StoresTaxes & Economy
Talking about PA Taxes
If you missed our Policies and Principles luncheon with Scott Hodge of the Tax Foundation, Eric Boehm of PA Independent has a write-up of the event, and also recorded…
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Read More: Talking about PA TaxesTaxes & Economy
Hide the Decline, Part Doh!
After receiving litigation threats from Climategate scientist Michael “Hockey Stick” Mann (of Penn State) over the use of his image in the enormously popular “Hide the Decline” video,…
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Pennsylvania Medicaid Waste Estimated at $1/4 Billion a Year
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Read More: Pennsylvania Medicaid Waste Estimated at $1/4 Billion a YearGovernment Accountability
Poll Shows Voters Support Pension Reform, I&R, and Spending Limits
HARRISBURG, PA – The Commonwealth Foundation today released results of a recently commissioned statewide poll measuring Pennsylvanians’ opinion of three landmark reforms. The survey of 700 registered voters was conducted by…
Press Release
Read More: Poll Shows Voters Support Pension Reform, I&R, and Spending LimitsRegulation
Another Plan to Spend Our Way to Prosperity
The PA House Democrats unveiled their “jobs plan” yesterday. In short, it is more of the same failed policies of the past, i.e. those of Ridge-Rendell and…
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Read More: Another Plan to Spend Our Way to Prosperity
Hundreds Protest Obama Health Care Plan at State Capitol
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Read More: Hundreds Protest Obama Health Care Plan at State CapitolGovernment Accountability
What Would a PA Constitutional Convention Include?
At the PA Leadership Conference, my former colleague, and now Executive Director of the Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania, Joe Sterns touted the need for a state Constitutional Convention. In…
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