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
Did Pennsylvania taxpayers “pay” to make a porno?
Insider Online raises an interesting question (the continuation of a dialogue between Americans for Tax Reform and the Tax Foundation): Are targeted tax breaks the…
Media
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Lancaster County Home Rule Charter Vote
Here is some information I have compiled on the Lancaster County home rule ballot measure (per a request from a Lancaster County Resident). Currently six counties in Pennsylvania have…
Media
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Did over-regulation cause the financial crisis?
A new AEI publication addresses the myth that deregulation cause the financial crisis, but also notes that additional regulations by central planners did contribute to the crisis:…
Media
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Sanford: “Don’t Bail Us Out”
Yesterday, the US House of Representatives invited a number of governors and mayors to parade through the halls of Congress and beg for more taxpayer money from Washington. And then…
Media
Read More: Sanford: “Don’t Bail Us Out”Public Union Democracy
PSEA uses union dues to support Obama
Even though 60% of teachers’ union members consider themselves conservative, the PSEA – the union for most Pennsylvania school districts – is using union dues to support the Obama-Biden…
Media
Read More: PSEA uses union dues to support ObamaTaxes & Economy
The Economy: Not a Zero-Sum Game
Thomas Sowell has a quality read in a recent column he wrote on the damaging affect that “taxing the rich” has on the whole nation, the…
Media
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Obama’s tax plans and small business
Originally posted at the Capitol Domes, a new blog from the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal. Barack Obama says he’s for raising taxes on the Fat…
Media
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Please don’t vote
John Stossel’s latest column encourages uninformed people to practice their civic duty not to vote. At a HeadCount concert, “20/20” asked some future voters, “How…
Media
Read More: Please don’t voteGovernment Accountability
Statewide Voter Guides
With less than a week before election day presidential candidate surveys and voter guides are everywhere, yet it can be difficult to find information on state candidates.
Media
Read More: Statewide Voter GuidesGovernment Accountability
Presidential (Economic) Issues Guide
While not getting the publicity of the Water and Sewer bond ballot measure, there is also a presidential election going on. As I have gotten a request for “voters…
Media
Read More: Presidential (Economic) Issues GuideEducation
Vouching for Obama
Andrew Coulson has a good read on National Review Online on Obama’s “open mind” (apparently now closed) on school choice, noting that Obama is instead using the old…
Media
Read More: Vouching for ObamaGovernment Accountability
ACORN: The Shenanigans Continue
Tax evasion can now be added to the list of shady dealings with which ACORN has been associated in the recent weeks. Matthew Vadum, from Capital Research…
Media
Read More: ACORN: The Shenanigans ContinueGovernment Accountability
Report Voter Fraud, Win Money
The Sam Adams Alliance is holding a video contest to raise public awareness in election fraud and prevent it from occurring. Click here for details. While…
Media
Read More: Report Voter Fraud, Win MoneyState Budget
Water and Sewer Ballot Question
When Pennsylvania voters head to the polls on November 4, 2008, they will also be asked to vote "YES" or "NO" on a ballot measure which would allow the state…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Water and Sewer Ballot QuestionState Budget
The 400 Million Dollar Question
Originally posted at the Capitol Domes, a new blog from the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal. How will you vote on November 4? No, I’m…
Media
Read More: The 400 Million Dollar QuestionRegulation
Should PA taxpayers be subsidizing Hollywood?
Lowman Henry weighs in on the $5.7 million tax credit awarded by Pennsylvania taxpayers to the raunchy comedy, Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Henry thinks…
Media
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The Age of Prosperity Is Over
Art Laffer in today’s Wall Street Journal on how the bailout mentality is bad news for our economy: Whenever the government bails someone out of trouble, they always…
Media
Read More: The Age of Prosperity Is OverGovernment Accountability
Pennsylvania Is Driving Its Doctors Away
Frederic Jarrett – a Pittsburgh doctor – editorializes in the Wall Street Journal as to how Governor Rendell is pushing doctors out a Pennsylvania by holding MCare abatement (a…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Is Driving Its Doctors AwayTaxes & Economy
Greenspan’s “infinite monkey theorem”
Did the free market fail? Well, that seems to be what Alan Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve System chairman, said yesterday to Congress. But before we follow the lead…
Media
Read More: Greenspan’s “infinite monkey theorem”Taxes & Economy
Rewarding Teachers
Former governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, had a compelling article in the Washington Times yesterday on merit pay for teachers. He commented on the current system: Instead of rewarding…
Media
Read More: Rewarding TeachersTaxes & Economy
Where has all the money for bridges gone?
A Heritage Foundation analysis finds that the federal government has given more money to state for bridge repair than states are actually using, with a special mention of Pennsylvania:…
Media
Read More: Where has all the money for bridges gone?