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.”
Analysis: State budget delay cloaks politicians in shame
Media Hit
Read More: Analysis: State budget delay cloaks politicians in shame
What’s next after budget? Here’s a must-do list for Pennsylvania lawmakers
Topics on this page Pennsylvania…
Media Hit
Read More: What’s next after budget? Here’s a must-do list for Pennsylvania lawmakersGovernment Accountability
Pennsylvanians Divided by Soda
Pennsylvanians seem divided by geography on a key debate. No, not the state budget, or national health care (well, those too), but on whether it should be called ‘Soda’, or…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvanians Divided by SodaState Budget
This is the Budget We Waited For?
Plan taxes too much, spends too much, and fails to put Pennsylvania on a path to prosperity Harrisburg, PA – With state budget impasse finally over, Commonwealth Foundation President Matthew…
Press Release
Read More: This is the Budget We Waited For?Taxes & Economy
Competition Emerges as PPL Completes Supply Auctions
Yesterday, PPL completed it’s last auction to for power to serve customers after rate caps expire on January 1st 2010. PPL has been procuring power in phases since 2007 in…
Media
Read More: Competition Emerges as PPL Completes Supply AuctionsEducation
Is Preschool for All a Good Idea?
Chester Finn of the Fordham Foundation has a good article in the latest Education Next on the movement for “preschool for all.” Finn is generally supportive of government…
Media
Read More: Is Preschool for All a Good Idea?Health Care
My Message to Congress on Health Care Reform
I just uploaded my video message to Congress on health care reform. This is part of a project of the National Taxpayers Union, who is preparing DVDs…
Media
Read More: My Message to Congress on Health Care Reform
Local real estate taxes could rise to make up for underfunded state pension plans
Media Hit
Read More: Local real estate taxes could rise to make up for underfunded state pension plansState Budget
100 Days Without a Budget and We’re Still Alive!
The budget impasse has been analogized and analyzed to death in the past couple months. It’s rich fodder for politico pundits and reporters. Some have compared it to a…
Media
Read More: 100 Days Without a Budget and We’re Still Alive!State Budget
PA Budget Deal Means Pledge-Breaking
Today GrassrootsPA features the five Pennsylvania lawmakers who signed, then violated, Americans For Tax Reform’s pledge to “oppose and vote against any and all efforts to raise taxes“.
Media
Read More: PA Budget Deal Means Pledge-BreakingGovernment Accountability
Shrink or Grow the Size of Legislature
NCSL’s blog, The Thicket, has a post up about debating reducing or growing the size of the legislature. Pennsylvania serves on the shrinking size, as that is an oft-cited…
Media
Read More: Shrink or Grow the Size of LegislatureState Budget
PA House Votes to De-fund ACORN
In addition to concurring with the tax hikes previously approved by the Senate, the Pennsylvania House voted earlier today 157-42 in favor of an amendment to HB 1407…
Media
Read More: PA House Votes to De-fund ACORN
Who’s Blogging About Us
Here are some recent blogs mentions Commonwealth Foundation work: Open Market, The Truth about PLAs, and The Truth About EFCA all comment on the…
Media
Read More: Who’s Blogging About UsEducation
Conservative College Professors: An Endangered Species
Robert Maranto, a former professor of political science at Villanova, recently published a new book through AEI Press, The Politically Correct University, which highlights the scarcity of conservative and…
Media
Read More: Conservative College Professors: An Endangered SpeciesRegulation
More Info on What WAMS are in PA Budget
The news service Capitolwire (subscription) has new information about the debate on WAMs in the budget, including a secret memo – disclaimed by all sides – explaining which…
Media
Read More: More Info on What WAMS are in PA BudgetTaxes & Economy
Dollar’s Dramatic Free Fall – Coming Soon!
The title might be too much to stomach for some, but such is the tone of Fred Kingery’s commentary, published by the Center for Vision and Values at Grove City…
Media
Read More: Dollar’s Dramatic Free Fall – Coming Soon!State Budget
House Democrats Help Identify More WAMs
PA House Democrat leader Todd Eachus and Appropriations Chair Dwight Evans sent a letter to Gov. Rendell decrying the inclusion of $12 million in WAMs in the latest Senate…
Media
Read More: House Democrats Help Identify More WAMsGovernment Accountability
The ACORN Hangs From Many Branches
The U.S. House Republican Committee on Oversight and Government Reform recently released an in depth investigative report on the activities of the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now, more…
Media
Read More: The ACORN Hangs From Many Branches