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
PennsylvaniaVotes.org Year in Review
Below is a handy set of indicators as to how your state legislators performed in 2009, courtesy of PennsylvaniaVotes.org, the Commonwealth’s first and only website that…
Media
Read More: PennsylvaniaVotes.org Year in ReviewGovernment Accountability
Capitol Cafeteria Another Rendell Sweetheart Contract
While some have pointed to the rodent-poo filled cafeteria at the Pennsylvania state capitol as a failure of the free market (as a private firm…
Media
Read More: Capitol Cafeteria Another Rendell Sweetheart ContractHealth Care
Attorneys General Threaten Lawsuit over Federal Health Care Bill
Attorneys General from 13 states, including Pennsylvania’s Tom Corbett, have threatened a lawsuit over pending health care legislation. (HT Tony…
Media
Read More: Attorneys General Threaten Lawsuit over Federal Health Care BillTaxes & Economy
The Success of Electricity Deregulation in Texas
Here are some recent numbers, from our friends at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, illustrating the success of electricity deregulation. Since 2007 Texas’ electricity market has been fully deregulated…
Media
Read More: The Success of Electricity Deregulation in TexasHealth Care
Cynics on Why to Support the Health Care Bill
Quiet Declarations has a good blog post on why to support the Senate health care bill, basically outlining three rationales. One, if you want to pass any bill to…
Media
Read More: Cynics on Why to Support the Health Care BillTaxes & Economy
Major Victory for Electricity Generators on Mercury Rule
Last Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld a decision made earlier this year by a Pennsylvania Court Judge who decided the Department of Environmental Protection’s attempt to regulate statewide…
Media
Read More: Major Victory for Electricity Generators on Mercury RuleGovernment Accountability
More Evidence for Term Limits
State Rep. Bryan Lentz, a Democrat from Delaware County, has provided the latest evidence that term limits are very healthy for representative democracies. First elected to the state House of…
Media
Read More: More Evidence for Term LimitsTaxes & Economy
A Road to Savings: Abolish the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
The top-heavy PTC, with more than 2,000 employees, is responsible for overseeing an exponentially smaller infrastructure than PennDOT. The PTC manages 537 miles of turnpike highways; PennDOT manages nearly 40,000…
Commentary
Read More: A Road to Savings: Abolish the Pennsylvania Turnpike CommissionHealth Care
Challenging the Constitutionality of Health Care Legislation
Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett is joining with a number of other state AG‘s (latest count is 10 attorneys general) to challenge the “Nebraska Compromise” in the latest…
Media
Read More: Challenging the Constitutionality of Health Care Legislation
Letter: Health-care bill will cost Pa.
Topics on this page Pennsylvania…
Media Hit
Read More: Letter: Health-care bill will cost Pa.Regulation
Of Mice And G-Men
An inspection by the Pennsylvania Agriculture Department found rodent droppings “just about everywhere” in the cafeteria at the Pennsylvania state capitol. The cafeteria, reportedly, also has a severe rodent…
Media
Read More: Of Mice And G-MenRegulation
Private Funding for Historical Sites
The historical site of Washington’s Crossing saw a cut in taxpayer subsidies this year, and some forecast doom and gloom for history. Instead, Lockheed Martin and other private donors…
Media
Read More: Private Funding for Historical SitesGovernment Accountability
Pennsylvania Legislative Audit Says Little
A new audit of the Pennsylvania Legislature’s accounts was released earlier this month, and is available via state Rep. Josh Shapiro. The big news on the audit is that…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Legislative Audit Says Little
Nanny State Gone Wild: Defining Dependency Up
Media Hit
Read More: Nanny State Gone Wild: Defining Dependency UpGovernment Accountability
CF Blog Roundup
Here are some recent mention of Commonwealth Foundation in state and national blogs. Michelle Malkin uses our research in a post about “slacker mandates” Pennsylvania Guardian links to…
Media
Read More: CF Blog RoundupTaxes & Economy
Climate Change Action Plan Fails to Balance Evidence
HARRISBURG, PA – The Commonwealth Foundation today expressed dissatisfaction with the process and conclusion of the Climate Change Advisory Committee’s (CCAC) action plan for Pennsylvania. The plan deviates from key…
Press Release
Read More: Climate Change Action Plan Fails to Balance Evidence