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
Pennsylvania Municipal Pension Reform in a Nutshell
Yesterday the Senate approved HB 1828, a long and complicated bill full of so-called pension reforms and potential local tax increases. Here’s a basic summary of the provisions following…
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Medicare’s Administrative Costs vs. Private Insurance
One of the myths is that Medicare has lower administrative costs than private insurance, and thus is the model for efficient health coverage. (This was an argument made by a…
Media
Read More: Medicare’s Administrative Costs vs. Private InsuranceHealth Care
The Success of Consumer-Driven Health Care
In the midst of debates over the right kind of health care reform, consumer-driven plans continue to attract consumers while keeping costs in check. Greg Scandlen of Consumers of…
Media
Read More: The Success of Consumer-Driven Health CareTaxes & Economy
Should Existing Interstate Highways Be Tolled?
Interesting question posed by National Journal on tolling of existing freeways, with particular focus on tolling I-80 in Pennsylvania, offering several experts the opportunity to respond. Pennsylvania Congressman Glenn…
Media
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Compromise On Obamacare Public Option Unlikely
Media Hit
Read More: Compromise On Obamacare Public Option UnlikelyHealth Care
States Offer Valuable Insight into the Dangers of Socialized Medicine
The Commonwealth Foundation and Conservatives for Patients Rights recently hosted a policy forum entitled State-Run Health Care: Costly Mistakes, featuring policy experts from across the country who have seen…
Media
Read More: States Offer Valuable Insight into the Dangers of Socialized MedicineRegulation
Keep on Truckin’
With Harrisburg gridlocked by the state budget impasse and Washington battling over national health care, an issue vital to Pennsylvania lurks below the radar. The debate is over…
Commentary
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High Speed Rail Proposal Just Another Way to Waste Taxpayer Dollars
The Patriot News highlights Pennsylvania’s latest request of $28.2 million for high-speed rail projects from the federal stimulus. Here is our recent commentary by Randal O’Toole on…
Media
Read More: High Speed Rail Proposal Just Another Way to Waste Taxpayer DollarsRegulation
Lack of Subsidy Spooks Movie Director
The remorse is almost audible in when people talk about the loss of filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan’s new movie Devil to Canada, ostensibly because of the budget impasse. What…
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Read More: Lack of Subsidy Spooks Movie DirectorRegulation
The Pennsylvania Pension Bailout
Pennsylvania legislators are drawing nearer to implementing a bailout bill for Philadelphia and a state takeover for insolvent municipal pension funds in cities like Pittsburgh. While pension reforms are…
Media
Read More: The Pennsylvania Pension BailoutHealth Care
ObamaCare Is Bad Medicine for Pennsylvania
America faces divergent prescriptions for health care reform—one calling for more government control, the other for patient empowerment. Unfortunately President Obama, Governor Rendell, and Democrats in Congress and…
Commentary
Read More: ObamaCare Is Bad Medicine for PennsylvaniaTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvania Sales Tax Exemptions
There has been some discussion lately about filling the Pennsylvania budget hole with additional revenue by expanding the state sales tax to include currently exempt goods, services, or categories.
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Sales Tax ExemptionsRegulation
Problem of PA Prison Population and Price
Last week Bill Cosby declared that it only costs taxpayers $4,000 a year to educate a child, but $33,000 a year to incarcerate someone (this statement is inaccurate, unless…
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Senate May Vote On Philly Tax Hike Tomorrow
Topics on this page United States Senate…
Media Hit
Read More: Senate May Vote On Philly Tax Hike TomorrowRegulation
What Happens When There is No Funding for Corporate Welfare?
Gov. Rendell has noted on many occasions that without large state “economic development” grant programs, Pennsylvania’s economy would tank. He has argued that the Senate budget, which would eliminate many…
Media
Read More: What Happens When There is No Funding for Corporate Welfare?Health Care
Explaining the Town-Hall Protests
John Goodman – the health care policy guru, not the star of Arachnophobia – has an editorial in Friday’s Wall Street Journal on those protesting Obama’s version of health…
Media
Read More: Explaining the Town-Hall ProtestsState Budget
Is Cash for Clunkers the Dumbest Government Program Ever?
Chris Edwards of Cato suggests “Cash for Clunkers” is the dumbest government program of all time: A few billion dollars worth of wealth was destroyed. About 750,000…
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Read More: Is Cash for Clunkers the Dumbest Government Program Ever?
Analysis: Political interests hold sway in budget battle
Media Hit
Read More: Analysis: Political interests hold sway in budget battlePublic Union Democracy
Address the Spending Side on Road Funding First
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation issued a statement responding to our blog post that explains state transportation spending has increased 121% since 1995, more than triple the rate…
Media
Read More: Address the Spending Side on Road Funding FirstRegulation
We’re Twice as Smart of the People of Shelbyville
Harley-Davidson continues to tour business friendly states to re-locate its York plant that employs over 2,000 workers – among the four options considered are Shelbyville, Indiana and Shelbyville, Kentucky.
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Read More: We’re Twice as Smart of the People of Shelbyville