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.”
Taxes & Economy
Good Thing We Got That Stimulus!
Gov. Rendell claimed Arlen Specter “saved the county” with his vote on the “stimulus” legislation. Here is a chart to turn your laughter into tears, courtesy of…
Media
Read More: Good Thing We Got That Stimulus!State Budget
“Cuts First, Taxes Last”
The Philadelphia Inquirer comes out with an editorial calling for cutting wasteful spending in the state budget before talking about a tax increase. Here are some of the points…
Media
Read More: “Cuts First, Taxes Last”Education
Budget Facts 2009: Spending Increases by Department
Pennsylvania faces a $3 billion tax revenue shortfall in the state’s General Fund Budget. Competing proposals from Gov. Ed Rendell and the Republican-led Senate differ on raising taxes and reducing/reprioritizing…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Budget Facts 2009: Spending Increases by DepartmentEducation
Budget Facts 2009: State Education Spending
Pennsylvania faces a $3 billion tax revenue shortfall in the state’s General Fund Budget. Competing proposals from Gov. Ed Rendell and the Republican-led Senate differ on raising taxes and reducing/reprioritizing…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Budget Facts 2009: State Education SpendingTaxes & Economy
Are Higher Taxes a “Centrist” Position?
Sharon Ward of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (PBPC) writes to the Tribune Review complaining about being a labeled “liberal” or “far left”. To be fair to Ward,…
Media
Read More: Are Higher Taxes a “Centrist” Position?
CF Statement on Film Tax Credit Study
Harrisburg, PA — Commonwealth Foundation President and CEO Matthew J. Brouillette issued the following statement today in response to a Legislative Budget and Finance Committee report on Pennsylvania’s Film Tax…
Press Release
Read More: CF Statement on Film Tax Credit StudyGovernment Accountability
More Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying for Higher Taxes
The Rendell administration is going on another taxpayer funded bus trip across the state for higher spending (and the higher taxes need to pay for them). The target this…
Media
Read More: More Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying for Higher TaxesState Budget
PA House Democrat Pushing for Higher Taxes
Pennsylvania House Appropriations Chair Dwight Evans is again trumpeting the calls for a higher state income taxes in the Tribune Review. Despite billions in federal dollars flowing into…
Media
Read More: PA House Democrat Pushing for Higher TaxesTaxes & Economy
What Will Higher Business Taxes Get You?
Bloomberg, via the Club for Growth, has a troubling lesson for those who want to hike business taxes. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says that if Obama’s new corporate…
Media
Read More: What Will Higher Business Taxes Get You?
House Should Act Immediately on Spending Transparency Bill
Harrisburg, PA — With Pennsylvania facing a $3 billion General Fund Budget deficit, the Commonwealth Foundation today urged the House to act immediately on spending transparency legislation adopted this week…
Press Release
Read More: House Should Act Immediately on Spending Transparency BillPublic Union Democracy
Action Alert on Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage Law
The Manufacturer & Business Association sent an action alert yesterday on Sen. Brubaker’s proposal to place a three-year moratorium on Pennsylvania’s prevailing wage requirement (SB 695). Click…
Media
Read More: Action Alert on Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage LawRegulation
New Study of Film Tax Credit Ignores Economics
The Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee issued a report on the state’s film tax credit, concluding that the $75 million program generates over $500 million in economic activity…
Media
Read More: New Study of Film Tax Credit Ignores EconomicsEducation
Will Government-Run Preschool Help Fight Al-Qaeda?
The Patriot News has a blurb about former generals saying that government-run preschool will help improve the military, and that if the Pennsylvania Senate budget passes, the terrorists…
Media
Read More: Will Government-Run Preschool Help Fight Al-Qaeda?Taxes & Economy
Proposed Power Authority Would Manipulate the Market
The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee last week held a hearing to discuss legislation proposed in 2008 to create a Pennsylvania Power Authority to oversee the state’s electricity…
Media
Read More: Proposed Power Authority Would Manipulate the MarketTaxes & Economy
Increasing Personal Income Tax Will Increase Volatility (Draft)
The Wall Street Journal ran an article today on the widespread state budget deficits and how this problem will not only persist but worsen in coming years.
Media
Read More: Increasing Personal Income Tax Will Increase Volatility (Draft)Government Accountability
Pennsylvanians Deserve Open Budget Debate
With the approach of June 30th and the end of the state’s fiscal year comes the annual argument in Harrisburg over Pennsylvania’s budget. With Senate Republicans having passed a spending…
Commentary
Read More: Pennsylvanians Deserve Open Budget DebateTaxes & Economy
Rendell Budget 2.0
In remarks yesterday, Gov. Rendell announced that he will cut at least $400 million from his earlier spending plan. He then went on to berate himself for being…
Media
Read More: Rendell Budget 2.0Taxes & Economy
Threat of State Park Closures “Ridiculous”
According to state Senator Mary Jo White, Gov. Rendell ordered every department secretary to issue press releases, blasting the Senate’s proposed budget and the “meanâ€? cuts that would ensue.
Media
Read More: Threat of State Park Closures “Ridiculous”
Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: June 2009
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released the May revenue collections showing state General Fund revenues are $2.84 billion short for the fiscal year to date. Governor Rendell had estimated…
Press Release
Read More: Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: June 2009Health Care
Still Looking for Free Market Health Care Proposals
Ryan Ellis has a good post over on RedState on the Congressional Republican health care plan (see previous post here) and offering much more serious proposal for transforming…
Media
Read More: Still Looking for Free Market Health Care ProposalsTaxes & Economy
Budget deficit was predicted, and ignored.
This was our blog post from July 04, 2008…yes, Independence Day, but also the day Gov. Ed Rendell signed the 2008-09 budget despite clear evidence that it was unrealistic in…
Media
Read More: Budget deficit was predicted, and ignored.