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.”
Regulation
If You Don’t Like Pork, Don’t Vote for It
State Rep. James Casorio issued a news release today criticizing a taxpayer-funded loan to what he terms a “puppy mill”. The loan came from the Renewable Energy Program of…
Media
Read More: If You Don’t Like Pork, Don’t Vote for ItTaxes & Economy
Saving is Good for the Economy
The Freeman, the monthly publication of the Foundation for Economic Education, has a good article on the ridiculous economic argument that savings is bad for the economy. This…
Media
Read More: Saving is Good for the EconomyRegulation
Constitutionality of PA Dog Law Upheld
A federal court ruled last week that Pennsylvania’s new “dog law”, enacted last year does not violated Constitutional protections against unwarranted search and seizure: U.S. District Judge Sylvia…
Media
Read More: Constitutionality of PA Dog Law Upheld
Whoops, We Were Wrong About Obama
Topics on this page Barack Obama…
Media Hit
Read More: Whoops, We Were Wrong About ObamaGovernment Accountability
Recaps of 9/12 March on DC
Here is some coverage of 9/12 protest in Washington DC from Pennsylvania (and some national) bloggers and attendeed: PA WaterCooler has a photo essay from John Lewandowski, who went…
Media
Read More: Recaps of 9/12 March on DCGovernment Accountability
CF Blog Roundup
Here are some of the most recent Commonwealth Foundation citations from Pennsylvania blogs: Capitol Ideas gives us some linkage on health care reform and on flying cars. GrassrootsPA…
Media
Read More: CF Blog Roundup
Budget plan gets chilly reception from governor
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Read More: Budget plan gets chilly reception from governor
Veto threat clouds budget deal’s prospects
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Read More: Veto threat clouds budget deal’s prospectsGovernment Accountability
Follow PA Lawmakers and Politics on Twitter
I recenlty learned of a tool – not sure if it is new or not – to compile lists of Twitter users that anyone can follow with a single click. …
Media
Read More: Follow PA Lawmakers and Politics on Twitter
Another Rickety Bridge to PA’s Future
Budget deal will result in job losses, additional tax hikes in future years HARRISBURG, PA – Commonwealth Foundation president and CEO Matthew Brouillette released the following statement in response to…
Press Release
Read More: Another Rickety Bridge to PA’s FutureRegulation
Philly Pension “Reform”: A Vote to Raise Taxes Now and in the Future
The state budget impasse hinges on the inability of Governor Rendell and the House Democrat Majority to garner enough votes for state tax increases. Yet for now it seems enough…
Commentary
Read More: Philly Pension “Reform”: A Vote to Raise Taxes Now and in the FutureEducation
The Right Direction
A colleague of mine suggests that the budget deal (see our grade of the budget agreement) is better than we say it is,…
Media
Read More: The Right DirectionState Budget
Which New Taxes are Coming for Pennsylvania?
The new Pennsylvania state budget “deal”, which House Democrats, Senate Republicans, and Senate Democrats have agreed to – but which House Republicans have disavowed and Gov. Rendell has not signed…
Media
Read More: Which New Taxes are Coming for Pennsylvania?
Republican solutions to the health care problem
Media Hit
Read More: Republican solutions to the health care problemState Budget
PA Senate GOP Caving on Tax Hikes?
John Micek reports that there may be a compromise coming in the Pennsylvania state budget, but surprisingly (to me) it is not the $27.5 billion plan outlined by…
Media
Read More: PA Senate GOP Caving on Tax Hikes?Taxes & Economy
A Failure of Government
The Institute of Economic Affairs in Britain has a new paper on the role of government in economic contractions in the United States, noting the interventions policies of Hoover…
Media
Read More: A Failure of GovernmentHealth Care
More Thoughts on Obama’s Health Care Speech
Here are some poignant comments on Obama’s latest health care speech: Greg Scandlen notes that in Obama’s “29th speech devoted exclusively to health care since he became president” he…
Media
Read More: More Thoughts on Obama’s Health Care SpeechGovernment Accountability
Legislative Staff and Term Limits
Following up on our blog post and Brad Bumsted’s article about Pennsylvania having the most legislative staff, I took another look at the…
Media
Read More: Legislative Staff and Term LimitsHealth Care
Obama’s Pants are on Fire
Obama’s health care speech, in which he denounces misinformation and scare tactics, he offered quite a bit of misinformation and scare tactics (e.g “more will die as a result”). The…
Media
Read More: Obama’s Pants are on FireHealth Care
ObamaCare Live Blog
President Barack Obama will address Congress at 8pm tonight in an effort to push through his health care agenda. Cato Institute policy experts Michael D. Tanner and…
Media
Read More: ObamaCare Live BlogTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvania is Among “The Biggest Losers” on Cap & Trade
ALEC has compiled data from the Heritage Foundation to produce rankings of which states have the most to lose from Cap and Trade, i.e. the Waxman-Markey bill.
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania is Among “The Biggest Losers” on Cap & Trade