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
Time for Term Limits Again
Unfortunately, this spirit of civic virtue yielded to self-aggrandizement. Early on, legislators served a few terms in a public office and then returned to private life to live under the…
Commentary
Read More: Time for Term Limits AgainTaxes & Economy
Brief History of the Great Depression
Investor’s Business Daily has an excerpt from Thomas Sowell’s new book Intellectuals and Society, which outlines the policies which cause the great depression. For instance, Sowell notes that…
Media
Read More: Brief History of the Great DepressionTaxes & Economy
Another Year, Same Old Story: Pennsylvanians Vote with Their Feet
The latest United Van Lines Migration study found, once again, that Pennsylvania is losing residents to other states, on the whole, ranking 5th highest among “outbound states.” Pennsylvania has…
Media
Read More: Another Year, Same Old Story: Pennsylvanians Vote with Their FeetState Budget
Example of Why There’s No Money to Fix Bridges
As I pointed out in a recent post, much of Pennsylvania’s transportation funding goes not to fix decaying infrastructure, but to beautification and other…
Media
Read More: Example of Why There’s No Money to Fix BridgesHealth Care
What Happened in Massachusetts
The Cato Institute released a policy report today examining the effect of Massachusetts’ health care reform – whose individual mandate and subsidies for insurance are seen as a model…
Media
Read More: What Happened in MassachusettsTaxes & Economy
PA Mayors Facing Budget Crunch – Whose Fault Is It?
Pennsylvania mayors have voiced their frustrations with public sector unions forcing counties to pay higher wages even as they face budget constraints. Inevitably, that has led to higher taxes,…
Media
Read More: PA Mayors Facing Budget Crunch – Whose Fault Is It?
HEALTH CARE: Reform will hit Pa. taxpayers hard
Topics on this page Pennsylvania…
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Read More: HEALTH CARE: Reform will hit Pa. taxpayers hardEducation
Mann-Made Global Warming?
Climategate was born in late November 2009 with the release of more than a thousand emails and other documents from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia…
Commentary
Read More: Mann-Made Global Warming?Public Union Democracy
Five Alternatives to Tolling I-80
A recent Pocono Record article calls the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s proposal to toll I-80 “a riddle with no easy answers” (HT GrassrootsPA). However, there are alternatives to that…
Media
Read More: Five Alternatives to Tolling I-80
Group calls for Mann’s external investigation
Media Hit
Read More: Group calls for Mann’s external investigationGovernment Accountability
Book Review: Money, Greed, and God
Jay Richards’ book Money, Greed, and God offers a defense of capitalism from a Christian perspective. Richards goes further, noting that capitalism depends on a virtuous society. A…
Media
Read More: Book Review: Money, Greed, and GodGovernment Accountability
Bonusgate Makes National Headlines
Though it wasn’t one of their top 10 scandals of 2009, Time Magazine has a story today on “bonusgate”, and the subsequent corruption investigation, and its implications on Pennsylvania…
Media
Read More: Bonusgate Makes National HeadlinesHealth Care
Why Health Care Costs are Skyrocketing
A nifty chart put together by the Mercatus Center helps explain why health care cost continue to skyrocket – a growing role for third-party payers and of government subsidies.
Media
Read More: Why Health Care Costs are SkyrocketingTaxes & Economy
How Government Hinders Job Creation
Economist Mark Hendrickson has a good piece for The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College explaining why federal policies aimed at “creating jobs” or even helping workers…
Media
Read More: How Government Hinders Job Creation
Days of Capitol calendars are behind us
Topics on this page United States Capitol…
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A look at the track records of local legislators
Media Hit
Read More: A look at the track records of local legislatorsTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvania Natural Gas Tax Resurrected
Governor Rendell has, once again, changed his mind deciding that taxing Pennsylvania’s emerging natural gas industry is a good idea. What changed the Governor’s mind? Recently, five companies…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Natural Gas Tax Resurrected
A Third Stimulus Won’t be the Charm
Some members of Congress are pushing a third economic "stimulus" in as many years (pundits often forget the Bush stimulus of 2008). Supporters of yet another round of deficit spending…
Commentary
Read More: A Third Stimulus Won’t be the CharmRegulation
Two Thumbs Down for Film Tax Credits
The Tax Foundation released a report on movie production incentives (MPIs), such as film tax tax credits and film grants (full report here). Forty-four states offer some sort…
Media
Read More: Two Thumbs Down for Film Tax CreditsTaxes & Economy
Government Spending Doesn’t Stimulate Economic Growth
Brian Riedl of the Heritage Foundation has a good Backgrounder on why government spending is no economic stimulus, including answering some of the points that neo-Keynesians make. (Click…
Media
Read More: Government Spending Doesn’t Stimulate Economic Growth