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.”
Health Care
Free Market Alternatives to the ObamaCare Informercial
If you are looking for some alternative programming to the Obamacare propaganda scheduled to air tonight, or just want a different point of view (which ABC has refused to…
Media
Read More: Free Market Alternatives to the ObamaCare InformercialTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvanians are Voting with Their Feet
I wonder how many believe that forgoing new taxes and cutting back spending would lead the state of Pennsylvania to the “post apocalyptic landscape of Cormac McCarthy’s novel soon-to-be-movie,…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvanians are Voting with Their FeetTaxes & Economy
A Cap and Trade Call to Action
Although originally planned for debate after the 4th of July, Congressional Leaders met late Monday night to place H.R. 2454, also known as the “cap and tradeâ€? initiative, on the…
Media
Read More: A Cap and Trade Call to ActionState Budget
Tax Everyone But the Guy Behind the Tree
Gov. Rendell’s hypocrisy on tax policy is on full display this budget season. While Rendell is demanding higher taxes on individuals and most businesses, he is also working to preserve…
Commentary
Read More: Tax Everyone But the Guy Behind the TreeHealth Care
Democrats’ Health Care Plan: Tax the Middle Class, Loophole for Unions
We mentioned last week that a tax on employer-provided health care benefits would likely be part of ObamaCare. This despite the fact that Obama’s campaign criticized McCain for proposing…
Media
Read More: Democrats’ Health Care Plan: Tax the Middle Class, Loophole for UnionsTaxes & Economy
Speaker McCall Throws Support behind Income Tax Hike
Pressured by a looming June 30th budget deadline and Gov. Ed Rendell’s economic team, House Speaker Keith McCall of Carbon County announced yesterday his support for a 16% increase…
Media
Read More: Speaker McCall Throws Support behind Income Tax HikeState Budget
Why Don’t Men Like to Wear Condoms?
No, we haven’t been spammed. But if the question of ‘Why men don’t like to wear condoms?’ doesn’t seem an apt topic for PolicyBlog, does it seem an appropriate subject…
Media
Read More: Why Don’t Men Like to Wear Condoms?Education
The “Mis-education” of Ed Rendell
Gov. Rendell wants to increase taxes to continue the double-the-rate-of-inflation spending that has defined his tenure. In order to sell his state budget plan to an increasingly skeptical public, he…
Commentary
Read More: The “Mis-education” of Ed RendellEducation
How Colleges are Cutting Costs
Two recent articles in the New York Times prove universities can cut costs without decreasing the quality of education. Susquehanna University saved almost $3,000 as students…
Media
Read More: How Colleges are Cutting CostsState Budget
Lawmakers Working Hard on the PA Budget?
If fundraising for the next campaign is considered working out the details of the state budget, Pennsylvania lawmakers are hard at it. John Micek points out no fewer than…
Media
Read More: Lawmakers Working Hard on the PA Budget?State Budget
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Who Signed No Taxes Pledge
Twenty-nine Pennsylvania Legislators have signed American for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge, including six Democrats. Click here to see exactly what they pledged not to do. Assuming politicians…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Lawmakers Who Signed No Taxes PledgeHealth Care
Get Informed and Active on Health Care Reform
On multiple occasions, we have suggested, or passed along the advice of others saying the same, that Republicans, conservatives, libertarians, and free market advocates need to get serious…
Media
Read More: Get Informed and Active on Health Care ReformGovernment Accountability
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Still Using Tax Dollars to Buy Votes
Mark Levy of the AP has a hard hitting story of Pennsylvania lawmakers use of WAMs – i.e. “Walking Around Money” made available to us at the discretion of legislative…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Lawmakers Still Using Tax Dollars to Buy VotesRegulation
Thumbs Down on Film Tax Credit
The Patriot News has a scathing editorial against Pennsylvania’s Film Tax Credit. Here is the deathblow: A closer look at the “motion picture industry” employment statistics(cited in…
Media
Read More: Thumbs Down on Film Tax Credit
New Tax Will Crowd-Out Private Recycling Companies
The Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association (PWIA) is making a case against HB 1069, a bill to enable Pennsylvania counties to enact a $4 tax on every ton of…
Media
Read More: New Tax Will Crowd-Out Private Recycling CompaniesGovernment Accountability
State Spending Transparency Hearing
FYI by PLS has a brief summary of a hearing yesterday on proposals to create a state spending transparency for Pennsylvania, with particular attention paid to HB 1460…
Media
Read More: State Spending Transparency HearingTaxes & Economy
Axe Taxes Not Jobs
Here is a pretty cool site, with info based on your location, primarily on alcohol and liquor taxes.
Media
Read More: Axe Taxes Not JobsState Budget
Cash for Rich People Who Drive Hummers
It is pretty clear that the Cash for Clunkers proposal is a dumb idea to intervene government in the economy and distort the market (or as Charlie Dent…
Media
Read More: Cash for Rich People Who Drive Hummers
Rendell to Suspend Laws of Economics for Three Years
“Gov. Rendell’s critique of the Commonwealth Foundation’s projections of job losses under his proposed tax increase as ‘ludicrous’ is historically and economically ignorant. The Governor’s campaign to raise taxes on…
Press Release
Read More: Rendell to Suspend Laws of Economics for Three YearsTaxes & Economy
Liberals Who OpposeTax Hikes During Recession
Pennsylvania Gov. Rendell renewed his call for higher taxes today, claiming it was ludicrous to think higher taxes would cost jobs. Who would argue with that? Well certainly…
Media
Read More: Liberals Who OpposeTax Hikes During RecessionTaxes & Economy
States Lose Jobs Due to Severance Tax
Florida’s legislature just passed new legislation to ease the severance tax burden on small oil and gas producers in the state. Drilling companies in the state have been forced…
Media
Read More: States Lose Jobs Due to Severance Tax