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
Public Benefits from Private Liquor
Commonwealth Foundation joins Reason in call for LCB privatization HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation joined with privatization experts from the Reason Foundation to discuss the potential divesture of the…
Press Release
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Ethanol Vehicles A Health Hazard
Summary of a research report by Mark Jacoboson: “We found that E85 vehicles reduce atmospheric levels of two carcinogens, benzene and butadiene, but increase two others – formaldehyde…
Media
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Health Care Reform Debate
New Republic (registration) has a back and forth between Johnathan Cohn, who argues the US needs a single-payer system in the model of France and Germany, and David Gratzer…
Media
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Wild Claims About a Turnpike Lease
It is sad that former Pennsylvania House Speaker John Perzel, who last year said he favored leasing the Pennsylvania Turnpike, is now striking out so wildly against the governor's proposal.
Commentary
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A Tax on Height?
Greg Mankiw and Matthew Weinzierl propose a tax on height (get the full study here). It has more advanced statistics and a longer literature review than most satire.
Media
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Taxpayer Protections
Commonwealth Foundation applauds efforts to control spending and taxes HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation applauded today’s introduction of a package of proposals designed to reduce the tax burden on…
Press Release
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More tax money to ethanol
Central Penn Business Journal on the announcement of $31 million in taxpayer-financed state grants for “clean energy projects,” primarily going to ethanol and biodiesel companies. Appearing yesterday on the…
Media
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How much for PHEAA?
If Sallie Mae is worth $25 Billion, PHEAA (which has about 1/10th the assets as Sallie Mae and about 1/20th the gross revenue) could be worth between $1.7 billion…
Media
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Nepotism at Turnpike Commission
Tom Barnes in the Post-Gazette with a great story on nepotism and patronage at the Turnpike Commission. Rather than deny political favoritism in hiring (as they did last…
Media
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Tax subsidies needed to pay min. wage?
I missed this story in the Philadelphia Inquirer last week. State Rep. (and Philadelphia mayoral candidate) Dwight Evans is working to get $820 million in state subsidy for the…
Media
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More “whoops” with RomneyCare
Massachusetts will now exempt about 60,000 people from the “mandate” to buy health insurance, The Boston Globe reports. Those people earn too much to qualify for state subsidy, but…
Media
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HSA Guide for Legislators
A Guide for State Legislators: Creating an HSA State from the Center for Health Transformation. Also, Greg Scandlen of Consumers for Health Care Choices offers these suggested additions:…
Media
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Privately Managed Schools in Philly Gain
A new report by Paul Peterson at Harvard indicates that privately managed schools in Philadelphia had greater gains in PSSA scores than overall public schools and than “restructured” schools…
Media
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The Act 1 farce
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorial on the Act 1, the so-called property tax relief law. Also the Patriot News has coverage of districts joining with the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber…
Media
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Survey of Attitudes on Taxes
The Tax Foundation’s latest survey of attitudes towards taxes came out today. The results will shock you. The number of people saying taxes are “too low” doubled since last…
Media
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Pennsylvania needs a spending limit
Press Enterprise Editorial on the Taxpayer Protection Act. Topics on this page Pennsylvania…
Media
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Grand jury to probe Pa. bonuses
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that there will be a grand jury investigating whether bonuses to legislative staffers were illegally tied to campaign work. Topics on this page…
Media
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Gov. Blames Lawmakers For Property Tax Troubles
Governor Rendell is blaming lawmakers for the lack of any property tax relief, in a WGAL Story (though his is losing the WGAL blame poll badly) . Rendell isn’t…
Media
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Ending Teacher Strikes
Bucks County Courier Times on the difference between Sen. Mellow’s binding arbitration bill and Simon Campbell’s proposals (both designed to end teacher strikes). Rep. Steil has converted to Campbell’s…
Media
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Show Me the Spending
ShowMeTheSpending.org, a new website from Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform, Citizens Against Government Waste, and National Taxpayers Union, is pushing for a…
Media
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Björn Borg, Come Home
Wall Street Journal article on how Sweden is abolishing their “wealth tax”, after driving the rich from the country (including Borg and ABBA). Topics on this page…
Media
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