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.”
Decreased taxes would decrease the burden
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The Future of State Parks
State parks across the nation are struggling to stay open: Arizona has decided to close 13 parks, New York is considering closing 41 parks, Washington is thinking…
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More Pennsylvanians Question Global Warming
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Tax Foundation Analysis of Rendell’s Tax Proposals
Joe Henchman of the Tax Foundation has put together a Fical Fact looking at Gov. Rendell’s tax increases in the proposed Pennsylvania state budget. Here is the quick overview:…
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NTU Congressional Ratings for Pennsylvania
The National Taxpayers Union released their annual Congressional report card (for votes in 2009). Here are the votes they rated. NTU’s rating is based on “every roll call…
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What the Heck is Net Neutrality?
Reason TV attempts to explain the issue of net neutrality in a new video. Topics on this page Net neutrality…
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Debunking the Green Job Myth
US News and World Report has an excellent piece from AEI’s Kenneth Green debunking the green job myth. Government can create jobs: Green explains how governments cannot create…
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Who’s Blogging About CF?
Here are some recent updates from various blogs mentioning Commonwealth Foundation, or giving us some good linkage: Redstate notes our call for an independent investigation into Penn State professor…
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Property Tax Relief Not as Awesome as Rendell Says
Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner put out another report that should embarrass the Rendell administration, this one one the claimed benefits of property tax relief. (Full report in…
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Mass Transit Funding Directly Linked to I-80 Tolling Decision
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Rendell Budget Proposal Comes Without Solutions
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Who’s to Blame for the Rising Costs of Higher Ed?
Rendell’s FY 2010-11 budget funds state related universities at the same level as FY 2009-10 budget. University officials claim they need an increase in state funding to keep tuition…
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Read More: Who’s to Blame for the Rising Costs of Higher Ed?Taxes & Economy
Pennsylvania Bottom-of-the Pack in State Competitiveness
A recent report by the Beacon Hill Institute, a free-market think-tank out of Suffolk University in Massachusetts, provided even more dismal news on Pennsylvania’s economic climate. According to the…
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How Do Pennsylvania’s Highways Rank
The Reason Foundation has been analyzing state highway systems since 1984. This month they released their 18th Annual Highway Report. Overall the Commonwealth ranked 38th for the most efficient…
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The underlying costs of unemployment compensation
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How Dumb is the Jobs Bill?
So the logic behind Stimulus 3, or the so-called “jobs bill” is that the first stimulus (the Bush stimulus of 2008, predicated largely on tax rebates) worked so well the…
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Budget Facts 2010: Pennsylvania State Budget Overview
Pennsylvania faces a projected General Fund tax revenue shortfall of at least $500 million. Governor Rendell proposed a $29 billion General Fund budget for 2010-11, that increases businesses taxes, imposes…
Fact Sheet
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Budget Facts 2010: Spending Increases by Department
Pennsylvania faces a projected General Fund tax revenue shortfall of at least $500 million. Governor Rendell proposed a $29 billion budget for 2010-11, that increases businesses taxes, imposes new taxes…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Budget Facts 2010: Spending Increases by DepartmentRegulation
The Trillion Dollar (and then some) Pension Gap
The Pew Report on state pensions, finding a $1 trillion unfunded liability nationally, has already received a great deal of attention, so here are just some brief highlights for…
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Read More: The Trillion Dollar (and then some) Pension GapGovernment Accountability
Whistle-Blower Protection
Good morning. I’m Katrina Currie, a Research Fellow for the Commonwealth Foundation. I am joined by my colleague Elizabeth Bryan. The…
Testimony
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Rendell Lured to Stimulus Like a Moth to a Flame
The lure of federal stimulus funds is encouraging Pennsylvania to spend more of state taxpayers’ money as well. Here are three examples: The Commonwealth was awarded $35 million through the…
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