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.”
Ending the Lame Duck Session
Allentown Morning Call article on ending the lame duck session. Rep. Steil remarks that the lame duck session is needed because lawmakers don’t pass legislation while they’re campaigning for…
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GIving Taxpayers a Voice?
With the new property tax “relief” law (Act 1 of the Special Session) each school district must have a “tax commission” examine any proposed tax increase, as reported in the…
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Read More: GIving Taxpayers a Voice?Health Care
The 1% Solution
In the daily travails of state government, it appears the Senate is prepared to take action best described as “self-reform.” According to reports, beginning as early as September, employees of…
Commentary
Read More: The 1% SolutionTaxes & Economy
Jesus and Taxes
Dimitri Vassilaros questions, in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, whether Jesus really endorsed the estate tax, higher income taxes, and raising the federal minimum wage. Topics on this page…
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Repealing the Federal Estate Tax
Facts about the estate tax from the Cato Institute. Topics on this page Cato Institute…
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Read More: Repealing the Federal Estate TaxGovernment Accountability
General Assembly Too Big & Expensive
Editorial in the Press Enterprise Online on reducing the legislature. While they use figures from my testimony, they fail to note that the crux of our position is…
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Reclaim government
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorial on shrinking and reforming state government, supporting “the Commonwealth Foundation’s commonsense solutions“. Topics on this page Pittsburgh Tribune-Review…
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Calculator for Property Tax Relief/Increase
The Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayers has created a calculator to determine how much relief, or how much of a tax increase you will get under the new property…
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Read More: Calculator for Property Tax Relief/IncreaseGovernment Accountability
Swann on Reform
Gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann’s response to a survey on government reform, compiled by Democracy Rising PA, with comments from the Commonwealth Foundation. Topics on this page…
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Veon draws cheers, but not for his travel
Ruth Ann Dailey column in today’s Post-Gazette on pork, legislator travel and perks, and open records. Think-tanks and reform groups such as the Commonwealth Foundation, Common Cause and Democracy…
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Read More: Veon draws cheers, but not for his travelTaxes & Economy
Time to Kill Castroism
Peggy Noonan in today’s Wall Street Journal suggests that it is time to “seize the moment for some wise, judicious, free-market love-bombing” of Cuba. Topics on this page…
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Read More: Time to Kill CastroismGovernment Accountability
Rendell on Reform
Governor Rendell’s response to a survey on government reform, compiled Democracy Rising PA, with comments from the Commonwealth Foundation. Topics on this page Ed Rendell…
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Read More: Rendell on ReformGovernment Accountability
Does Size Matter?
If you prefer audio podcast to the text version, you can listen to my testimony on reducing the size of the General Assembly. (Note: the file is 2MB…
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Read More: Does Size Matter?Government Accountability
Shrinking the Legislature
Thank you, Chairman Scarnati, and members of the Senate Majority Policy Committee for the opportunity to testify before you today on the issue of whether or not Pennsylvania should reduce…
Commentary
Read More: Shrinking the LegislatureRegulation
Record Number of Lottery Losers
Governor Rendell issued a news release on the state lottery. Proud of what he calls “a success story of good government and an organization of which all Pennsylvanians can…
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Read More: Record Number of Lottery LosersTaxes & Economy
Why Congress Should Reject a Minimum Wage Increase
Two articles from the Heritage Foundation: The first details how a minimum wage increase will hurt job prospects among low skill workers, and won’t reduce poverty. The second…
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Read More: Why Congress Should Reject a Minimum Wage IncreaseRegulation
Getting state legislators to work is costly
Post-Gazette article on the cost to taxpayers of the travel of several state lawmakers. Just another example of a failure of many in cover to be frugal when someone…
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Read More: Getting state legislators to work is costlyState Budget
States Looking to Spending Caps
While legislation limiting the growth of state spending in Pennsylvania (the “Taxpayer Fairness Act”) has stalled in the House Rules Committee, at least six states will be having ballot initiatives…
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Read More: States Looking to Spending CapsTaxes & Economy
Politics trumps economics in Chicago
The Chicago city council passed a law which would mandate “Big-Box” retailers pay a minimum wage of $10/hour and $3 in fringe benefits, essentially an effort to keep Wal-Mart out…
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President Rendell?
From Philadelphia Magazine: “Ed Rendell was dead in the water five months ago. Now it appears he’s a shoo-in to get reelected, and there are whispers about a VP…
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Read More: President Rendell?Regulation
Manufacturing Job Loss in the Great Lakes Region
The Brookings Institution released a study on manufacturing jobs lost in the Great Lakes region. The numbers and findings are interesting: many of the nation’s manufacturing jobs “lost” were…
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