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.”
Public Union Democracy
Modern Day Patriots: Taking on Government Officials
Bucks County Commissioners get an earful from taxpayers about the tentative AFSCME collective bargaining agreement that forces non-union employees to pay fees to the union as a condition of…
Media
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The Transportation Committee Cerberus
Rep. Joe Markosek wants to become the next Cerberus of the General Assembly. Of course, that title is currently held by Rep. Babette Josephs for bottling up…
Media
Read More: The Transportation Committee CerberusGovernment Accountability
What can we cut?
An anonymous poster to GrassrootsPA defends the recently enacted state budget against criticism from the Commonwealth Foundation, along with that in other comments. The budget…
Media
Read More: What can we cut?State Budget
Will this budget’s ink be red in 2009?
No, that’s not our headline, but Pete DeCoursey‘s at Capitolwire.com…
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Read More: Will this budget’s ink be red in 2009?Taxes & Economy
We hold these truths to be self evident
Independence Day video from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation Topics on this page Freedom Foundation…
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Read More: We hold these truths to be self evidentGovernment Accountability
More Spending, More Debt, Less Transparency
Commonwealth Foundation expresses disappointment in overall budget deal HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation provided its perspective on the FY 2008-09 budget agreement making its way to the governor’s…
Press Release
Read More: More Spending, More Debt, Less Transparency
Budget Details Revealed
The House Appropriations Committee (both Democrats and Republicans) released the line items in the budget late into the night on Thursday. They will attempt to vote on the legislation today…
Media
Read More: Budget Details RevealedState Budget
New budget may mean deficit, higher taxes
Marc Levy of the AP reports that the new $28.2 budget agreement may, according to Senate officials (both Republicans and Democrats), result in a budget deficit of $1 billion…
Media
Read More: New budget may mean deficit, higher taxesRegulation
Soccer Score: Team owners: 50 million, Taxpayers: 0
Props to state Rep. RoseMarie Swanger, and 71 state House members, who attempted to end the use of taxpayer funds for a soccer stadium. Here is our recent…
Media
Read More: Soccer Score: Team owners: 50 million, Taxpayers: 0Health Care
Questionable Benefits of State Mandates for Health Insurance
The Pacific Research Institute a new study on the cost of health insurance mandates. As would be expected (see our commentary on autism and slacker mandates), they find…
Media
Read More: Questionable Benefits of State Mandates for Health InsuranceEducation
Philadelphia private school managers a failure or success story?
The Fordham Institute blasts a Philadelphia Inquirer story calling the Philadelphia public school’s removal of six private managers a “blow to the experiment”: Kristen Graham of…
Media
Read More: Philadelphia private school managers a failure or success story?Regulation
Don’t know much about history?
In another example of professional licensing run amok,…
Media
Read More: Don’t know much about history?Health Care
New Mandates A Step Backwards in Health Care Reform
State lawmakers claim to hear the cries of Pennsylvania residents about the escalating costs of health care. Unfortunately, instead of pushing reforms to help lower the costs of care, some…
Commentary
Read More: New Mandates A Step Backwards in Health Care ReformState Budget
PA Budget Secrecy
Pete DeCoursey of Capitolwire asks an interesting question. Since lawmakers are likely to vote on the budget tomorrow (given they don’t want to come in on the 4th and they…
Media
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CorridorOne: Every Rose has its Thorn
When we last heard mention of CorridorOne, the proposed transit rail line in the Harrisburg area that no one will ride, supporters were defending federal earmarks – because subverting…
Media
Read More: CorridorOne: Every Rose has its ThornEducation
Cyber School Funding Formula: The Wrong Mixture
State Rep. Karen Beyer, along with the Rendell administration, lobbyists for the teachers unions, and the school boards association, has been doggedly seeking to reduce funding for Pennsylvania’s public cyber…
Commentary
Read More: Cyber School Funding Formula: The Wrong MixtureRegulation
How long will PA’s smoking ban last?
Of course, Pennsylvania’s criminalization of smoking in private establishments hasn’t even gone into effect yet, but Jeremy Richards writes in the Heartland Institutes’s Budget & Tax News that “History…
Media
Read More: How long will PA’s smoking ban last?State Budget
New borrowing in budget deal
While we are still waiting to see many of the details on the budget agreement, here are the numbers on borrowing that have been revealed. The new agreement…
Media
Read More: New borrowing in budget dealGovernment Accountability
The state budget: Secret sham
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorializes on the secret nature of the budget negotiations and the wheeling and dealing that occurs behind closed doors. Topics on this page Pittsburgh…
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Read More: The state budget: Secret shamEducation
Shady Accounting at the Pennsylvania Department of Education
Allegheny Institute’s latest policy brief reveals how the Pennsylvania Department of Education classifies federal monies as local tax revenue. “By making it appear that the local revenue…
Media
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EZ Come, EZ Go! at the Turnpike Commission
The second episode of PIKE TV, EZ Come, EZ Go!, looks at how the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is spending your toll dollars … and its not just…
Media
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