E.F.I.S. Answers

From the head of the Board of Ethics himself:

• Hi everyone,
  
  I'm not a regular reader of this blog, but I do find it one of the better ones when I do read it. Anyway, I do want to correct a few misconceptions about the "ethics statements." I should know--I'm the Executive Director of the Board of Ethics. Chances are I've talked on the phone to some of you, and in any case you can call me anytime; I'm a department head who answers his own phone. First, filing on line is amazingly easy--that's the way we designed the system. For all CPD personnel, you should be able to log in using your "employee id," which is the same id and password combo (last name and last 4 of ss#, no spaces) you use for our annual ethics training (which, by the way, should be ready this coming week). If that doesn't work, try the same log in and password combo you use when you log into your CPD pc. If THAT doesn't work, please call my office at 312-744-9660. Second, whether you need to in 2011 file depends solely on your 2011 budgeted salary rate, not including any o/t you have or expect to earn. If it's $79,300 or more, you need to file. Third, ALL filed forms are made public, and since 2009, posted on the internet. But your home address is NEVER SHOWN TO THE PUBLIC. My office is hyper-sensitive about this. Older forms, those green ones you filed in paper in 2009 and 2010, have been scanned into our website (and must be searched for by name), but your home address just isn't there. Nor is mine. If you file in paper this year (you can, but why??) we'll scan it in. More work for you, more work for us. But you can if you wish. This year, we have 14,600 filers spread through all City departments and Boards and Commissions, including me, and all these forms are all going on the web. Look, it's reality--get used to it. We're not the only jurisdiction that does this. That's one of the many prices we pay for our public employment, and it's what the reform community likes to call "transparency." Fourth, Mayor Daley's 2009 and 2010 forms and Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel's 2010 form ARE ON THE WEB (for Emanuel's, look under forms of candidates, since he filed in 2010 as a candidate). Neither has yet filed his 2011 form, but Mayor Daley will, and Mayor-elect Emanuel must (and will) before he's sworn in. When we get 'em, we'll post 'em, just like yours. We don't make any exceptions. Last, I really don't get any thrills out of collecting $20 from my fellow employees, but like you all, I've got to enforce the law. If you want a waiver of the $20 form, please come in to my office and file a waiver form. So, please, do me, yourselves, and my tiny, hard-working staff a favor: file by May 2. Use the $20 you'll save for something more important (and fun).
  
  Steve Berlin, Executive Director, Board of Ethics, 312-744-9660

Thanks.