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.”
The Vince Coglianese Show – Jennifer Stefano – 10.01.21
Vince Coglianese speaks with Jennifer Stefano, a Fellow at the Independent Women's Forum (IWF) and the Vice President of the Commonwealth Foundation.
Commentary
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Op-Ed: Schools shouldn’t be political battlegrounds. Let’s make peace through educational choice
School choice policies allow some of the funding used to educate a child to follow that child to the family’s school of choice.
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Op-Ed: Pa. lawmakers can end educational chaos by passing HB 1
Educational choice policies like those in the Excellent Education for all Act (House Bill 1) empower parents.
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Pa. General Assembly passes House Bill 1861
Today, both chambers of the Pa. General Assembly passed House Bill 1861 unanimously. It will now go to Gov. Tom Wolf for his signature or veto. Commonwealth Foundation Vice…
Press Release
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Op-Ed: Empower Parents, Not Union Leaders
Originally published at RealClearEducation Earlier this year, the New York Post revealed that the American Federation of Teachers – one of America’s two national teachers’ unions – had…
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Op-Ed: While progressive leaders eat cake, their constituents suffer
A picture is worth a thousand words — maybe even 300,000, which was the dollar cost for a table at the Met Gala this year.
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Pennsylvania’s Use of ARPA Funds
ARPA is a $1.9 trillion federal bill passed in March 2021. Supporters of the legislation argued that our country needed the added spending to stimulate a nationwide recovery from the…
Fact Sheet
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Excellent Education for All Act Summary
The Excellent Education for All Act (House Bill 1) is a transformative plan that ensures more Pennsylvania children have access to an excellent education.
Fact Sheet
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Op-Ed: Say no to $3.5 trillion government takeover, yes to jobs
Originally published at The Hill Something isn’t right in America’s economy. And it’s not just COVID-19. As of late July, there were 10 million available jobs across the…
Media
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Op-Ed: How Right-Leaning Entrepreneurs Became the Champions of Equity for Low-Income Students
Originally published at Townhall There is no doubt that free-market enthusiasts—armed with a love of competition and individual liberty—have a successful track record of leading on traditionally progressive issues.
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Op-Ed: Want To Grow Your Nonprofit? Stop Fundraising
Originally published at Forbes My challenge to you: Bring joy back to your development efforts by not fundraising. Sounds crazy, right? But you can drive forward and build your…
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Op-Ed: Climate Change Regulations in Pennsylvania: No Discernable Benefits
What happens next in Pennsylvania’s legal and legislative battles over proposed climate change regulations will largely depend on who controls the narrative about carbon dioxide emissions and their impact.
Commentary
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Consequences of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a controversial compact designed to tax electricity producers for emitting carbon. The Wolf administration is attempting to join the initiative through regulation in…
Fact Sheet
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Op-Ed: Main Line Madness
Parents across the country are engaging with their schools’ embrace of critical racial pedagogy, but in progressive locales like Lower Merion, pushback requires organization and cooperation among those who want…
Commentary
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Gov. Wolf Contradicts Himself, Implements School Mask Mandate
Today, Gov. Tom Wolf announced that his administration will implement a mask mandate for all public and private schools and daycare facilities in the commonwealth despite having repeatedly stated that…
Media
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Op-Ed: Back-to-School Season in Pennsylvania Defined by Conflict
Amid new and recycled policies surrounding the COVID-19 Delta variant, batteles with local public school bureaucracies are intensifying. …
Commentary
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Op-Ed: Climate Regulations Reach Critical Turning Point in Pennsylvania
September…
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Op-Ed: Limited government can make a comeback
For advocates of limited government, it’s easy to feel like the fight is over and the country is on the path to fiscal ruin. But such pessimism is unwarranted.
Commentary
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Pa. Earmark Spending Hits All-Time High
August 26, 2021, Harrisburg, Pa.— A new Commonwealth Foundation analysis shows a steep increase in earmarks in the 2021–2022 state budget. Approximately $5.5 billion in both federal and state…
Press Release
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Don Kirkland Society: Mail
Please mail me more information about ensuring a legacy of freedom: Mail me info Topics on this page Philanthropy…
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Don Kirkland Society: Call
Please give me a call to discuss ensuring a legacy of freedom: Give me a call Topics on this page Liberty…
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