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.”
Legislative sponges soak up tax dollars
Tony Phyrillas on the top uses of “Public Services Announcements” – i.e. taxpayer-funded advertising – in the Pennsylvania House. Topics on this page Public service…
Media
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Scranton’s attack signals budget battle
Post-Gazette piece on Former Lt. Governor (and Commonwealth Foundation board member) Bill Scranton’s testimony on the budget. Look for the full testimony on our website tomorrow. Topics on…
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Read More: Scranton’s attack signals budget battleTaxes & Economy
Act 1 Property-to-Income Tax Shift
On May 15, 2007, voters across the Commonwealth will be asked to vote on a property-to-income tax shift to pay for public education expenditures. The Property Tax Relief Act of…
Fact Sheet
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Term Limits Fails in Committee
The Senate State Government Committee rejected, by a 2 to 9 vote, reporting John Eichelberger’s constitutional amendment on legislative term limits, to the full Senate (Sen. Eichelberger discussed his…
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Where the Jobs Went
The Skeptical Optimist offers a “Bar Chart of Where the Jobs Went” – i.e. changes in the number of jobs by category over the last year. That is followed…
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Healthy state pension fund brings pressure for benefit increases
Mark Scolforo in the Morning Call on proposed reforms (and benefit increases) to the state pension system. Topics on this page Mark Scolforo…
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Act 1 Tax Shift Coverage
Tribune-Review: Voters to decide Act 1 tax trade off. Allentown Morning Call: Act 1 is an awful law, it will divide communities Post-Gazette: Voters Guide 2007: School…
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Read More: Act 1 Tax Shift CoverageGovernment Accountability
Memo to Senate State Government Committee Members
MEMORANDUM TO: Pennsylvania Senate State Government Committee Members (Senators Piccola, Folmer, A. Williams, Scarnati, Brubaker, Corman, Punt, McIhinney, Fontana, Hughes, and Tartaglione) FROM: Commonwealth Foundation, Democracy Rising PA, Rock the…
Commentary
Read More: Memo to Senate State Government Committee Members
Pittsburgh: America’s Most “Leavable” City
Bill Steigerwald in Reason Magazine: Pittsburgh is in a death spiral. It’s bankrupt. Its school district spends $16,000 a year per kid. Its parking tax is the highest…
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Lawmakers reaped $50K-plus in freebies in ’06
Mark Scolforo reports on the gifts and other financial interests report by lawmakers. Not suprisingly, legislative leaders cashed in (even while claiming they were not): House Majority Leader…
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Read More: Lawmakers reaped $50K-plus in freebies in ’06
Turnpike Disavows “Mystery letter”
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission denies that a letter from an unknown organization PA Coalition for Sound Transportation Policy is really a front for turnpike officials (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review story).
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Assembly’s Slow Pace Frustrates Reformers
Jim Panyard in The Evening Bulletin on the push for a Constitution Convention and the Senate State Government Committee’s plan to look at five proposed constitutional amendments at a…
Media
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Lawmakers Accused Of Abusing PSAs Part II
More from WGAL on lawmakers making use of taxpayer financed “Public Service Announcements” including samples of ads and their price tag. Topics on this page WGAL…
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Read More: Lawmakers Accused Of Abusing PSAs Part IIGovernment Accountability
Taxpayers Need Protection
Delivered on Thursday, April 26, 2007 Good morning Chairman Corman, Senator Regola, and Senator Folmer. It is indeed a pleasure and an honor to be able to come before you…
Testimony
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Lawmakers Use Your Money, PSAs As Campaign Tool
WGAL NBC 8 story on the use of taxpayer funds for “Public Service Announcements” around election time. The poll with the story indicates that a whopping 7% don’t feel…
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Articles on the Budget
The Northeast PA Business Journal has four articles on the Rendell budget and related issues, all quoting me; the fourth article also features Commonwealth Foundation Senior Fellow Rick Dreyfuss:…
Media
Read More: Articles on the BudgetEducation
Change the Incentives in Education
Thank you Chairman Armstrong and members of the Appropriations Committee for the opportunity to discuss the impact of Governor Rendell’s education proposals. You have already heard and are going to…
Commentary
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Environmental “watchdog” feeds off taxpayers
Capitolwire reports that the neo-socialist environmental group PennFuture received over $1 million in state grants from the Ministry of Propoganda Departments of Environmental Protection and Conservation & Natural Resources.
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School Choice Works!
In today’s Appropriations Committee hearing on education Sen. Pat Browne questioned Andy LeFevre of the Reach Foundation on the academic achievement effects of school choice. There has in…
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Groups argue merits of proposed pre-K state funding hike
From Capitolwire.com (subscription): Two private school groups told the state Senate Appropriations Committee Tuesday not to support $75 million in new state funding for pre-kindergarten classes. State support…
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Read More: Groups argue merits of proposed pre-K state funding hike
Attacking Charter Schools
This Philadelphia Inquirer article about the Chester-Upland school district’s proposed cap on charter school enrollment was brought to my attention. I now found that they did vote to…
Media
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