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.”
Pennsylvania Musician Opposed To Funding Lefty Causes Challenges Forced Unionization
Originally published at The Federalist Instead of plying his trade as a musician during the height of the Covid pandemic, Glen Wilkofsky’s union dues were paying for political activism…
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Commonwealth Foundation Sr. VP Nathan Benefield Responds to Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Priorities
Topics on this pageGovernment budgetJosh ShapiroNathan A BenefieldPennsylvaniaPublic policy…
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Key Takeaways from Gov. Shapiro’s 2023 Budget Address
Profligacy Exacerbates Budget Deficit Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget calls for $45.9 billion in ongoing General Fund spending and $43 billion in net state revenues (after refunds). Thus, Pennsylvania has…
Report
Read More: Key Takeaways from Gov. Shapiro’s 2023 Budget AddressState Budget
Commonwealth Foundation’s Nathan Benefield Statement of Governor Shapiro’s Budget Priorities
Harrisburg, Pa., Mar. 7, 2023 — Commonwealth Foundation Senior Vice President Nathan Benefield issued today the following response to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s first budget address: “The budget…
Press Release
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation’s Nathan Benefield Statement of Governor Shapiro’s Budget PrioritiesEducation
PA Education-Funding Lawsuit Opens the Floodgates for Reform
Originally published at RealClearPennsylvania In February, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania issued a controversial decision that could end a long-running, high-profile lawsuit over the state’s funding of public schools. The…
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Fiscal Impact of School Choice
Summary Tax credit scholarships and Education Opportunity Accounts (EOAs) provide students with educational opportunity at a fraction of what public schools cost, generating significant savings for taxpayers. Educational choice programs…
Fact Sheet
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Reforms would reduce poverty, increase prosperity
Originally published on LNP On Tuesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro will deliver his first annual state budget address to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. While he hasn’t unveiled the details of…
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Commonwealth Foundation Executive VP Jennifer Stefano on Newsmax March 1, 2023
Topics on this pageNewsmax…
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Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Executive VP Jennifer Stefano on Newsmax March 1, 2023Regulation
Pennsylvanians Demand Expanded Energy Choices
Harrisburg, PA – According to a statewide poll of registered voters, Pennsylvanians are pessimistic about the state’s future and want state leaders to address surging energy costs. The survey…
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Tackling Poverty in PA Starts With Understanding Barriers to Prosperity
Originally published at RealClearPennsylvania It’s hard to save money. “I have a daughter that goes to after-school care that I have to pay for,” one Pennsylvania mother said. “I…
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Where is all the education money going?
Originally published in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Reviewhttps://triblive.com/opinion/david-p-hardy-where-is-all-the-education-money-going/ State and national media are spotlighting Pennsylvania’s education funding system in the wake of a long-awaited Commonwealth Court decision. While the…
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Tearing Down Barriers to Prosperity: How More Economic Freedom Can Reduce Poverty and Boost Prosperity in Pennsylvania
Key Findings Economic freedom, specifically lower government spending, strongly and consistently offers both increases in prosperity and reductions in poverty.States that gained economic freedom from 2010 to 2019 tend to…
Executive Summary
Read More: Tearing Down Barriers to Prosperity: How More Economic Freedom Can Reduce Poverty and Boost Prosperity in PennsylvaniaTaxes & Economy
Tearing Down the Barriers to Prosperity: What Pennsylvanians Say About Poverty and Prosperity
Unlike most reports on poverty, this report combines statistics, a survey of Pennsylvanians with income below 200 percent of the poverty line, and in-depth interviews to identify common barriers to…
Executive Summary
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Senior VP Nathan Benefield on the Dom Giordano Program highlighting education funding
Our Sr. Vice President Nathan Benefield recently chatted with radio host Dom Giordano about the ruling regarding education funding in Pennsylvania. Topics on this pageDom Giordano…
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Commonwealth Court ruling is a massive win for education choice advocates
Originally published in The Philadelphia Inquirer After a more than eight-year slog, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court affirmed what the Pennsylvania Constitution has said all…
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PA Court Rules on Education Funding Lawsuit
February 7, 2023, Harrisburg, Pa.—Today, a Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court judge issued a ruling on the school funding lawsuit that has been ongoing for the past eight years. The suit alleged…
Press Release
Read More: PA Court Rules on Education Funding LawsuitEnergy
Too much regulation raises energy prices too high
Originally published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette On average, electric bills for Pennsylvanians are up 73 percent since 2020. The increases range from 55% in east (for PECO customers) to…
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Executive Vice President Jennifer Stefano on Fox News February 3, 2023
Topics on this pageFox NewsPolitical Commentary…
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Read More: Executive Vice President Jennifer Stefano on Fox News February 3, 2023Government Accountability
No single person should have unchecked authority in Pennsylvania government
Originally published in The Bucks County Courier Times The Pennsylvania Senate recently passed Senate Bill 1, which moves three proposed constitutional amendments closer to the ballot. Before Pennsylvanians can vote…
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To help child abuse survivors, Speaker Rozzi must play politics well
Originally published at The Philadelphia Inquirer I’m done telling politicians, “Don’t play politics.” It clearly confuses them. Take Pennsylvania House Speaker Mark Rozzi. No, literally, please take him back…
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Passing voter ID can help restore trust in elections
Originally published at City & State PA Our democratic system depends on trust – but Americans have become increasingly disillusioned by the political process. According to a poll conducted…
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