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
The Emperor Has No Clothes: The Truth about Secondhand Smoke
Short paper from the Heartland Institute (click here for PDF) on the science of second hand smoke – including the oft-repeated claim about the number of deaths due to…
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For Autism, Try Vouchers, Not Mandates
John LaPlante points out on SPN Blog that instead of health care mandates, autism advocates should be pointing to tax credits or scholarships for autistic children. As opposed to…
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Read More: For Autism, Try Vouchers, Not MandatesPublic Union Democracy
Port Authority Labor Negotiations Online
The Pittsburgh Port Authority has a website detailing the sticking points of the labor negotiation with the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85. I think the lesson to be…
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PA Gets Mediocre Grade on Economic Freedom
Not suprisingly, given other state rankings, Pennsylvania gets a mediocre grade on the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of North America report for 2008. PA ranks tied for 26th…
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Philly population declines – only New Orleans loses more residents
A Philadelphia Inquirer article looks at Philadelphia’s population decline from 2000-2007, in which the city lost 68,000 residents (continuing a downward trend). The Post-Gazette has a related article…
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Read More: Philly population declines – only New Orleans loses more residentsPublic Union Democracy
Alliance for Worker Freedom: AFL-CIO evading taxes
I’ve seen a few stories about the AFL-CIO using union dues to run ads against John McCain, and wondered a) why are compulsory union dues for explicit political activity…
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Read More: Alliance for Worker Freedom: AFL-CIO evading taxesRegulation
Banned!
Latest Drew Carey video for Reason.tv looks at the number of things – many of them absurd – that have been banned by governments out of the nanny…
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Kanjorski Earmark Denied
The US Department of Transportation is refusing to fund an earmark put in place by Rep. Kanjorski. The earmark was intended to fund a parking garage near Kanjorski’s monument…
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Read More: Kanjorski Earmark DeniedTaxes & Economy
Family friendly reforms
The NCPA has a new Brief Analysis highlighting “Five Family Friendly Policies” -l abor, tax, and health care reforms providing greater freedom, flexibility, and portablity for workers and employers.
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Rendell losing patience with turnpike commission
Post-Gazette reports that Governor Rendell is fed up with the Turnpike Commission’s stalling on their I-80 tolling application. He says he has been a nice guy about it,…
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Preschool Study: No Evidence of Lasting Benefits
Adam Schaeffer writes on Cato-at-liberty that a recent study of universal preschool only shows what critics of government-run day care have been saying: that they offer only short-term…
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Another toll-road myth demolished
The myth that governments can access cheaper infrastructure financing than the private sector – propogated by “Just Say No” Joe Markosek and his hired guns – has been…
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Read More: Another toll-road myth demolishedEducation
PSEA Hissy Fit
Too many public schools have a Liberace complex and feel no compunction against splurging taxpayers’ hard-earned money. So kudos to the Pleasant Valley School District for trying to lowering…
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Read More: PSEA Hissy FitHealth Care
Is “universal health care” a religion?
Michael Cannon pulls a troubling quote from an advocate of SCHIP expansion, who admits his support is based on faith, not evidence. Of course Cannon is a well-known…
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Read More: Is “universal health care” a religion?Education
School boards have no control over teacher salaries?
Tony Phyrillas laughs at school board members complaining about not having control over things like teacher salaries – you know, the salaries school boards establish (typically through labor contracts)…
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Steelers for sale?
In what may be a shock to Pittsburgh Steelers fans, the Wall Street Journal reports the Rooney family may be looking to sell the team (also see Tribune Review article).
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Voucher Valedictorian
Andrew Coulson comments on an NRO article highlighting a DC Opportunity Scholarship recipient who just graduated at the head of her class at Archbishop Carroll High School. The…
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Read More: Voucher ValedictorianState Budget
Gambling in PA … with a $28 billion budget
No one can say we didn’t warn lawmakers that their 4.06% increase in spending for the 2008-09 fiscal year was not fiscally prudent. The AP reports that Rendell,…
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Read More: Gambling in PA … with a $28 billion budgetRegulation
Time to end earmarks and WAMs
Good op-ed in the Patriot News by William G. Williams on the need to end Congressional earmarks and WAMs by the PA General Assembly: For years in…
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Read More: Time to end earmarks and WAMsTaxes & Economy
Impeach JFK
Evergreen Freedom Foundation blog highlights the NEA convention adopting a resolution stating The National Education Association believes that any president who starts a war with another country without a…
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Read More: Impeach JFKTaxes & Economy
Silent Cal Speaks Loudly
The Wall Street Journal’s Notable & Quotable provides us with some nuggets from Calvin Coolidge’s marking of the 150th anniversary of the Delcaration of Independence. Coolidge gave us some…
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