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
CF Supports Dedicated Funding Stream and Individual Mandate
Harrisburg – Today, CF staff joined with state lawmakers to announce new legislation that would create a dedicated funding stream for the Commonwealth Foundation. The measure, HB 4110, creates an…
Press Release
Read More: CF Supports Dedicated Funding Stream and Individual MandateEducation
Operation Restore Launched to Preserve School Choice in PA
The REACH Alliance launched Operation Restore, a campaign to restore the funding for Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program to $75 million. The EITC, which before…
Media
Read More: Operation Restore Launched to Preserve School Choice in PAEducation
College Just Got Cheaper, for Government Workers
When the Obama Administration couldn’t get the Student Loan Overhaul through the Senate last year, they created a scheme to tacking it onto the unrelated healthcare bill. This bill…
Media
Read More: College Just Got Cheaper, for Government WorkersHealth Care
How the Health Care Law is Financed
The Tax Foundation has a useful chart showing how the health care law is financed over the next 10 years (keep in mind most of the taxes don’t kick…
Media
Read More: How the Health Care Law is Financed
Tea Party set for York in April
Topics on this page Tea party…
Media Hit
Read More: Tea Party set for York in AprilGovernment Accountability
Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Candidate Survey
The Commonwealth Foundation asked each of the candidates in the May primary for Pennsylvania Governor to answer a series of 20 questions about state economic and fiscal policy. Answers…
Press Release
Read More: Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Candidate Survey
Natural Gas Severance Tax Still A Bad Idea For Pa.
Media Hit
Read More: Natural Gas Severance Tax Still A Bad Idea For Pa.Regulation
PA Gives Shyamalan $35 Million Tax Break
Despite the reduction in the Film Tax Credit (which does little to generate economic growth) M. Night Shyamalan’s latest production, The Last Airbender received over $35 million (over multiple…
Media
Read More: PA Gives Shyamalan $35 Million Tax BreakState Budget
Debating Taxes on Services
The New York Times has a piece on expanding state sales taxes to cover many services, with a specific focus on Pennsylvania. The articles focus primarily on the “modernization”…
Media
Read More: Debating Taxes on ServicesHealth Care
Who the Health Cares About the Constitution?
Constitutional questions have dogged the health care bill since its introduction. But rather than address these issues head on, supporters of the legislation have shrugged them off. Speaker Nancy Pelosi,…
Commentary
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Letters: On health care, Corbett’s right
Media Hit
Read More: Letters: On health care, Corbett’s rightTaxes & Economy
Which Sectors are Adding Jobs in Pennsylvania?
As reported earlier, Pennsylvania lost an estimated 16,000 jobs in February. Over the past year, the total jobs lost in the state adds to up about 141,000 (272,000 over…
Media
Read More: Which Sectors are Adding Jobs in Pennsylvania?Regulation
Still Not Easy Being Green for PA Taxpayers
In 2005, CF advised against passing Gov. Rendell’s Growing Greener II initiative because far better alternatives than increasing Pennsylvania’s debt load could have been used to save farmlands and…
Media
Read More: Still Not Easy Being Green for PA Taxpayers
School budget cuts: hard choices demand public input
Media Hit
Read More: School budget cuts: hard choices demand public inputEducation
Rhetoric vs. Reality on Higher Ed
I got an email alert from Student PIRGs with the lead in, “College just got less expensive.” Really, that happened? Did anyone notice? Uh no. What they meant is…
Media
Read More: Rhetoric vs. Reality on Higher EdGovernment Accountability
Fighting the Powerful Renewable Energy Lobby
Colorado residents are fighting back against the powerful renewable energy lobby via ballot initiative. The Western Tradition Partnership, a grassroots citizens group, said they would attack the renewables…
Media
Read More: Fighting the Powerful Renewable Energy Lobby
Help low-income residents with lower tax burden
Media Hit
Read More: Help low-income residents with lower tax burden
Guest Column: Natural Gas Severance Tax: Still A Bad Idea
Media Hit
Read More: Guest Column: Natural Gas Severance Tax: Still A Bad IdeaRegulation
Another Film Tax Credit Report Ignores Economics
In its analysis of Pennsylvania’s motion picture and television industry the Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board pins down the creation of jobs and increased wages in the film industry…
Media
Read More: Another Film Tax Credit Report Ignores Economics