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.”
State Budget
Is Rendell Lying About State Police Layoffs?
Gov. Rendell has been quoted on numerous occasions claiming the budget passed by the Pennsylvania Senate last month would result in the layoff of 800 state police. We pointed out…
Media
Read More: Is Rendell Lying About State Police Layoffs?Taxes & Economy
How Legislators Are Increasing Your Electricity Bill
Pennsylvania electricity consumers are in danger of a triple whammy. Three separate energy policies are likely to increase your electric bill (not even counting federal Cap and Trade legislation, which…
Media
Read More: How Legislators Are Increasing Your Electricity BillState Budget
Where does your legislator stand on raising taxes?
This email was just sent to your state Senators and Representatives… Stay tuned!_______ June 30, 2009 Dear Senator/Representative: President Barack Obama said, “In an economy…
Media
Read More: Where does your legislator stand on raising taxes?Health Care
Response to ObamaCare Infomercial
The Cato Institute has a video, point-by-point response to Obama’s informercial on his health care reform plan. Topics on this page Barack Obama…
Media
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CF Launches “Yes, We Can!” and “We Agree!”
Harrisburg, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation today launched the “Yes, We Can!” and “We Agree!” education effort to inform citizens about where their state legislators stand in the current budget…
Press Release
Read More: CF Launches “Yes, We Can!” and “We Agree!”
Citizens to Lawmakers: Please, No More Taxes!
M e m o r a n d u m______________________________________________________________ Date: June 30, 2009To: Gov. Rendell and Members of the Pennsylvania General AssemblyFrom: The UndersignedRE: Please,…
Press Release
Read More: Citizens to Lawmakers: Please, No More Taxes!Taxes & Economy
The Real Effect of Rendell’s Taxes on Small Business
While Gov. Rendell continues his propaganda campaign for higher taxes (see WGAL for a related news story on the thousands Rendell has spent in taxpayer funds lobbying for more…
Media
Read More: The Real Effect of Rendell’s Taxes on Small BusinessEducation
More Dollars is Not Producing More Scholars
A new report from the Math Science Partnership of Greater Philadelphia on Pennsylvania school performance (specifically the 11th grade PSSAs) across school districts finds that: Demographic factors (residents with…
Media
Read More: More Dollars is Not Producing More ScholarsTaxes & Economy
Cap and Trade is a Rip-off
The science is beyond dispute and the facts are clearâ€?, said President Obama, speaking definitively on the issue of climate change, as he usually does with other issues he wants…
Media
Read More: Cap and Trade is a Rip-offRegulation
Has Gambling Reduced Property Taxes?
In a press conference last week, Gov. Rendell patted himself on the back for all the property tax relief he has provided via gambling. But John Delano of KDKA-TV in…
Media
Read More: Has Gambling Reduced Property Taxes?Health Care
Residents: RomneyCare a Failure
Rasmussen polling finds that only 26% of Massachusetts residents think the health care reform in that state was a “success”, compared with 37% calling in a failure. The…
Media
Read More: Residents: RomneyCare a FailureState Budget
Will Pennsylvania Budget Lead to Dogs and Cats Living Together?
After weeks of new releases, press conferences, and taxpayer-funded bus tours about the horrors that will ensue if the Pennsylvania state budget is $27.3 billion instead of…
Media
Read More: Will Pennsylvania Budget Lead to Dogs and Cats Living Together?Taxes & Economy
The Road Less Travelled in Pennsylvania
Editor's note: This is the second in a series of occasional commentaries on how Pennsylvania can turn around its economic fortune. In their first installment, “Reviving Pennsylvania,” Brouillette and…
Commentary
Read More: The Road Less Travelled in PennsylvaniaState Budget
Rendell’s “Pay the Inmates, not the Guards” Strategy
The Morning Call’s John Micek has a follow-up article to yesterday’s revelation that inmates would be getting paid while the guards would not during the current budget impasse.
Media
Read More: Rendell’s “Pay the Inmates, not the Guards” StrategyTaxes & Economy
Cap and Trade Will Squeeze State Budgets, Raise Energy Prices, and Cost Jobs
The Heritage Foundation has a number of new facts on the impact of Cap and Trade, which the US House is supposed to vote on today. Under Cap and…
Media
Read More: Cap and Trade Will Squeeze State Budgets, Raise Energy Prices, and Cost Jobs
Time for Open Government is Now
“Pennsylvanians need greater transparency in how state government is spending their hard-earned money. An online database of state spending would allow every citizen to become a government watchdog. Particularly in…
Press Release
Read More: Time for Open Government is NowTaxes & Economy
More Mandates=More Expensive Electricity
On Wednesday the Housed passed a bill to reestablish the State Energy Office, terminated in 1995. HB 287 would resurrect the office to preform vague duties like: Promote…
Media
Read More: More Mandates=More Expensive ElectricityState Budget
Rebutting Rendell’s Rhetoric
Rendell’s propaganda campaign continues today, with another press conference (his sixty-first, in support of legislation that does not yet exist) with tax eaters asking for more tax dollars. Rendell latest…
Media
Read More: Rebutting Rendell’s RhetoricTaxes & Economy
Taxpayers Guide to the Stimulus
Reason Foundation put a new “Taxpayers Guide to the Stimulus” last week that is informative, and an easy-to-digest guide to where all the stimulus money is going. They also…
Media
Read More: Taxpayers Guide to the StimulusTaxes & Economy
Rendell calls CF’s job loss numbers “BS”
Last night, Gov. Rendell defended his tax increase proposals on WITF’s state-wide broadcast. Lt. Gov. Joe Scarnati also challenged the Governor’s efforts to sell “snake oil”. But when Nell…
Media
Read More: Rendell calls CF’s job loss numbers “BS”Health Care
Helping the Uninsured
I had a brief debate via Twitter (I guess it is impossible to have anything but a brief debate on Twitter) with a staffer for the Pennsylvania House…
Media
Read More: Helping the Uninsured