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.”
Mellow would retire with six-figure pension
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Rendell’s Taxpayer Snow Job: No-Work Pay-Day
The Patriot-News reported that when Gov. Rendell closed down state government for the recent snow storm, state workers would receive full pay for not working — costing the taxpayers…
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Read More: Rendell’s Taxpayer Snow Job: No-Work Pay-DayTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvania Turnpike Already Hiring Consultants for I-80 Tolling
Toll Roads News reports that the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is seeking bids for consultants for the conversion of the highway to a toll road. The four contracts would each…
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On the pros and cons of giving corporations and individuals equal voices
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Read More: On the pros and cons of giving corporations and individuals equal voicesTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvania Sales Tax Expansions Set to Star Wars
Here is a video listing the 74 items currently exempt from the Pennsylvania sales tax that Gov. Rendell has proposed taxing – set to the introduction of Star Wars…
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Read More: Pennsylvania Sales Tax Expansions Set to Star WarsEducation
Climategate is an Embarassment
Penn State sophomore Samuel Settle pens a letter on why he is embarrassed of professor Michael Mann’s behavior, and his school’s white-washing of an investigation. Click here for our…
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Teacher’s Union Calls for State to Fund Pension Plans
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Rendell budget continues to fuel insatiable spending
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Nebraska has what PA needs…
U.S. Senator Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) said: “Nebraska’s Right to Work laws, which have been credited in part with our excellent business climate that has attracted employers and many good…
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Read More: Nebraska has what PA needs…Criminal Justice Reform
Instituting Meaningful Corrections Reform
Eric Boehm has a good article on the opportunity to help balance the state budget by reforming prison and probation. The inmate population in Pennsylvania’s prisons is growing at…
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Read More: Instituting Meaningful Corrections ReformPublic Union Democracy
The Impact of Unions on Public Policy
The latest Cato Journal takes on the topic of “Are Unions Good for America?” The journal features a number of good articles on issues of relevance nationally and in…
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Read More: The Impact of Unions on Public PolicyGovernment Accountability
The End of Taxpayer-Funded Newsletters?
Darwyyn Deyo reports that the PA House of Representatives is moving from away from paper newsletters to email newsletters to registered voters. This is a good move, likely to…
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Read More: The End of Taxpayer-Funded Newsletters?State Budget
The Merits of an Expanded Sales Tax
Josh Barro of the Manhattan Institute has a recent op-ed on the idea of states broadening their sales tax base, noting that several states are looking this direction.
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Read More: The Merits of an Expanded Sales TaxGovernment Accountability
CF Blog Round Up
Here is what the Commonwealth Foundation has bloggers discussing this week: The Pennsylvania Guardian links our work monitoring Pennsylvania’s deficit Conservative Network Reform Blog highlights our analysis of…
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Read More: CF Blog Round UpRegulation
Still More Job Security in Pennsylvania Government
Gov. Rendell once again touted the reduction in and relatively-low number of state government employees. But as we noted last year, the “state complement” includes only about half of…
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Read More: Still More Job Security in Pennsylvania GovernmentPublic Union Democracy
PSEA Complicit in Pension Debacle
The PSEA has a ridiculous new video calling on members to demand state lawmakers “keep their promise” on pension plans – essentially saying “don’t reform the system at all,”…
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6 Opportunities for Pennsylvania
Topics on this page Pennsylvania…
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Rendell budget, sales tax cut won’t solve state’s pension problems
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Read More: Rendell budget, sales tax cut won’t solve state’s pension problemsState Budget
No Solutions in Rendell’s Budget
The Keystone State for years has been afflicted by government inefficiency and overspending. Since Gov. Rendell took office in 2003, Pennsylvania’s burden of state and local taxes has increased from…
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