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April 17 2010: Wolfgang Halbig attends the “South Lake Chamber of Commerce 2010 Hob Nob,” where an early poll is conducted to gauge support for the County Commissioner candidates. Wolfgang is a candidate.. [LINK] [LINK] [LINK]
June 30 2010: Halbig is featured in “The Right Side of the Lake” newsletter, as “An Alternative” candidate in the race for County Commissioner.The article notes the date of Halbig’s termination, and he is apparently interviewed for the piece. http://lakecountygov.info/2010/06/30/an-alternative/
In the interview, Wolfgang explains how his firing from Lake County Schools was all the result of conspiracy, much like his previous firings.
Wolfgang started out by saying, “My wife, Kathy, found out I was running for county commission when some colleagues at the school board asked her why I was running for county commission. She wasn’t too happy with me.”
Wolfgang Halbig was the Risk Manager for the Lake County School District until June 30, 2009, when he was terminated by Superintendent Susan Moxley. This 63 year old, very affable, education security expert believes he saw firsthand the underbelly of Lake County’s political cronyism and intimidation machine. Based on his experience, where he saw political leaders put their interests above the people, he decided to run for District 4 Lake County Commission seat.
Halbig believes his termination from the Lake County School District was politically motivated by current County Commissioner Jimmy Conner who twisted arms to get his friend insurance work at the district. Halbig tells a story that, if true, needs a much brighter light shined upon it. According to Halbig, the school district formed a committee of department heads to review the insurance programs for the district. After thorough investigations of the current plans, the committee determined that long-time insurance provider, Brown and Brown, was not offering the best program.
According to Halbig, Brown and Brown representative, Scott Hindman, was very emphatic that the school district would not change plans despite the more expensive costs and reduced district advantages. Halbig said that Hindman told him, “It ain’t gonna happen – I’ve already got three votes.” Halbig contends that Hindman contacted Jimmy Conner at his home, as well as other school board members, to promote his plan, and despite the third place ranking of the Brown and Brown plan, Jimmy Conner at the board meeting strong-armed the district to retain the program. He believes it was a sham orchestrated by Conner in conjunction with other school board members.
According to Halbig, the final nail came in his work coffin when he found out the district was being grossly overcharged by Brown and Brown on worker compensation premiums. He contends Scott Hindman with Brown and Brown was going to charge the district $3.4 million to remain in the program, and after Hindman found out they were bidding the program out, he immediately dropped it by $1 million.
The most troubling aspect was his meeting with School Board Member Larry Metz. Halbig contends that he told Metz of the overcharges and provided him information supporting it. Halbig said Carol MacLeod, CFO of the Lake County School District, warned him that if he pursued this change to save money he would be fired; Halbig relayed his concern to Metz. Halbig said, “Metz did not have enough courage to stand up against the insurance company and other board members, and there was a cowardliness in his voice.” After the battle regarding the workers compensation program, and despite being offered a tentative contract extension in April, Halbig was terminated in June. Halbig claims his record with over 30 years in the education system is spotless with positive reviews, and that he had never been terminated before. On several occasions during our meeting, Halbig expressed concern that his wife, Kathy, who is Manager of Technology at the school district, is worried about retaliation from the school district because of his candidacy.
June 18 2010: Registration closes for Lake County Commission election. Halbig is listed as registering to run for seat 4.[LINK]
June 30 2010: A commenter Bill Tucker on Wolfgang’s profile “An Alternative” claims to have known Halbig through playing racquetball in Ocala in the 1980s. He vouches for Wolfgang.
Name Bill Tucker
June 30, 2010 at 5:16 pm
In Ocala the 1980′s Wolfgang and I were part of a group that regularly met on the racquetball court. An affable, bright, good-guy; Wolf will be a formidable candidate for the county commission.
July 6 2010: A commenter on Wolfgang’s profile “An Alternative” simply pastes the text of the “Letter to the Editor” that had expressed alarm about Wolf’s spending on quadro trackers, fifteen years prior:
Quadro Tracker Is Not As Effective Or As Cheap As Dog
OPINION – Letters to the Editor
May 14, 1995
REGARDING ”SOME swear by device, others scoff” in the May 7 Seminole Extra, Seminole County school security director Wolfgang Halbig wants to buy 50 ”drug-sniffing” electronic Quadro Trackers. My calculations say he would spend at least $19,750 of Seminole County taxpayers’ money for a device that the maker is afraid to patent and that uses ”voodoo” to find contraband with a method the maker can’t clearly explain. The U.S. Customs Service even tested it: The Quadro Tracker doesn’t work.
Mr. Halbig: Don’t buy the Quadro Tracker and engage in fraud, waste and abuse of taxpayer money. If you want to find drugs in the schools, use dogs.
David A. Grubbs
The next day, another commenter does the same, adding the remark “Maybe Wolfgang can buy some Quadro Trackers for Lake County.”
July 7 2010: A user claiming to be Wolfgang Halbig responds in the comments section of the “An Alternative?” article/profile on wolf. He responds to another user, who had been calling Wolfgang out about the phony drug scanners from the 90s:
Name Wolfgang Halbig
The rest of Mr. Grubbs story that he fails to tell that we tested the device for Dateline in making sure that the school district and tax payer did not waste school districts funds.
If you are going to tell a side or story, please tell the whole story as we did on dateline.
The FBI bought 100 of thos trackers, Seminole County bought O and that is why we were featured on Dateline.
Nice try.
July 8 2010: A commenter refutes Halbig’s account of saving the school from wasting money on the Quadro:
Name
Maybe I was wrong, but the article states you were committed to buy one for every school in your District, when you were contacted and “corrected” by a magician……. From your diatribe above I thought you were accustomed to “one sided” stories….
July 25, 2010: Halbig is mentioned as an independent candidate in the Nov 2nd election for Lake County Commissioner Linda Stewart’s seat. [LINK]
The primary winner will face off in the Nov. 2 general election against Democrat E.K. Emery, independent Wolfgang Halbig and write-in candidates Vance Yochim and George Romano, whose names will not appear on the ballot. Commissioners must live in a district but are elected and serve countywide, so all Republicans in Lake will be eligible to cast ballots in the primary.
July 29, 2010: Hard to Buy Votes With No Money – Right Side of the Lake blog post takes a look at campaign finance in the Lake County Commissioner election, noting that Halbig had raised $211.00:
http://lakecountygov.info/2010/07/29/hard-to-buy-votes-with-no-money/
Aug 3 2010: “Denied” – editorial published on The Right Side of the Lake, bashing a realtor association for endorsing Halbig. The article knocks Halbig for only having been a resident of the county for six years:
http://lakecountygov.info/2010/08/03/denied/
In a stunning rebuke, the Realtors Association of Lake & Sumter Counties, Inc. (Realtors Association) did not recommend Atkins to the post of District #4 County Commissioner; instead, they’ve chosen to recommend NPA candidate Wolfgang Halbig. Atkins has spent his life in the realty business, and this recommendation should have been a slam dunk; however, the people who know Atkins the best did not stand up for him. people for Better Government, L.L.C. contacted Bill Deese, Chairman of the Screening Committee to ask specifically why Atkins wasn’t recommended. Deese responded by saying, “Being a realtor is not a consideration for the recommendation, and the people felt that Halbig answered our questions the best.” Deese wouldn’t offer any further comments on Atkins.
Atkins, a lifelong resident of Lake County, has taken very pro-realtor positions such as encouraging incentives to have seniors fill foreclosures and a plan re-establishing Lake County as a retirement destination. Halbig, on the other hand, is a naturalized American citizen from Germany who has lived in Lake County for less than six years. Halbig has not established any public position on housing in Lake County, which is why the Halbig recommendation by the Realtors Association can only be described as a slap in the face to Atkins.
Aug 15 2010: “It’s a Win for Working People” suggests that Wolfgang has no chance at winning the election, and that no one is going to financially back an obvious loser.
http://lakecountygov.info/2010/08/25/its-a-win-for-working-people/
Aug 16 2010: Larry Metz responds to another attack by local people in blog – Lake County School Board member Larry Metz responds to the allegations Wolfgang Halbig made in his “Right Side of the Lake” profile. His response is posted by another local people politics blog, Lake County Fiscal Rangers. Metz refutes Halbig’s side of the story concerning the circumstances of his dismissal, by quoting the letter Wolfgang sent to the school board on January 21, 2010, “For the Record.” He also presents a different recollection of his conversation with Wolfgang after the insurance workshop.
Mr. Halbig described what actually happened in his e-mail dated January 21, 2010, sent to Lake County School Board members and, ironically, titled “For the Record.” Yes, Mr. Halbig and I met and he informed me of his concern about the Brown & Brown insurance quote. However, contrary to what is reported in The Right Side, I acted upon the information Mr. Halbig provided by challenging Brown & Brown on their insurance quote at a School Board workshop. Mr. Halbig was present and afterwards thanked me for doing so. Mr. Halbig’s description of what happened is quoted from his January 21, 2010 email below:
We used to pay Brown and Brown $6,158,000 million dollars for the entire package one year and on the average since 2005-2006 we paid over $5,350,000 million dollars and would be paying the over $6,158,000 million dollar price tag had it not been for Larry Metz questioning Scott Hindman on the high premium we are paying since our claims history has now a .99 experience mod.
Just a simple challenge by Larry Metz in suggesting that we may switch to another program caused Scott Hindman to drop our premium insurance over $1,000,000 million dollars in three minutes.
No other school board member raised any concerns and I have always wondered why?
If he dropped our premium by over a $1,000,000 million dollars in three minutes does that mean he could have done that in 2005-2006, 2006-2007 maybe I guess we will never find out since no other board member held the company accountable.
A scan of Mr. Halbig’s entire email of January 21, 2010, with the above quoted language identified in context, is attached.
Mr. Halbig wrote his email months before he became a candidate for office and a financial contributor to my opponent. According to Mr. Halbig’s own account, my actions resulted in a savings to the Lake County School District of over $1,000,000. Clearly, the description of the events attributed to Mr. Halbig in the June 30 edition ofThe Right Side was completely inconsistent with his email. In this instance The Right Side either misrepresented what Mr. Halbig told them, or accepted his account as gospel without checking it out because it fit nicely into their political agenda. The same type of false, negative spin is evident in the August 10 and 16 editions. Readers of The Right Side should not accept its contents lightly, for it is not really a newsletter. The Right Side is merely a tool used to further the political agendas of those who are behind it.
Larry Metz
Political advertisement paid for and approved by Larry Metz, Republican, for State Representative, District 25.
August 25, 2010 – A user claiming to Wolfgang Halbig comments on the “It’s a Win for Working People” article from a few weeks ago, apparently responding to the article’s assertion that he will have trouble raising campaign funds. He also corrects the blog’s description of Halbig as a “former Lake County Safety Officer.”
Name Wolfgang Halbig
August 25, 2010 at 11:07 am
Excuse me for being someone who believes that 38 years of public service should count for something.
38 years working to help people and children through public schools.
Being asked by the school superintendent of Lake County to train every school administrator and school staff when a boy was shot and killed at Tavares Middle School causing panic and major confusion should mean ssomething to every paent and student by designing their
Emergency Management Plan. I was not the Lake County School Board Safety Officer, I was hired as the Lake County School Boards Risk Manager in July of 2005 and by June 30, 2009 when I was fired by Susan Moxley for saving this School DIstrict over $20,000,000 million tax payer dollars you must be right I have done absolutely nothing to qualify me to run for County Commissioner,
Cronysim and the old buddy system took a toll on the day we saved those dollars.
Why does someone spent over $110,000 thousnad dollars just to win the primary, is it because she knows that she will be protected by you and your RSOTL information?
An attorney who represent Land Developers with big dollars will represent the affluent not the ordinary citizen that has to pay there bills every month. I did not see those who have children on free and reduced lunch donating at a five hundred dollar clip.
What is she going to do to save tax payer dollars? what is her game plan instead of just saying I am for growth, need jobs, support businesses. protect the enviornment etc. Give us the meat of your campaign. I have NO political consultant at $10,000 dollars a clip to tell them what to say.
I do it from hard work.
Get your facts straight. I have started my campaign and I am hear to win.
Take that to the bank.
wolfgang
Another user responds to Wolfgang’s comment just half an hour later, under the username “Taxed.”
Name Taxed
August 26, 2010 at 11:38 am
Mr. Halbig, excuse me for being someone who believes we need commissioners who were not on the taxpayer’s payroll for 38 years regardless of how well they performed. You are not a taxpayer and therefore cannot identify with those who are. When you pay taxes it is merely a reinvestment into the fund that provides your income to begin with. Your job performance could only be evaluated by yourself and peers rather than by competition in the marketplace. We need someone who understands what Lake County businesses need in order to compete in the marketplace. We don’t need someone who worked 38 years for a system built by cronyism and then came out on the short end of the stick from it. Try doing some of your hard work in the private sector while waiving your pension for the next four years and then get back with us about being a commissioner.
August 27, 2010: Wolfgang responds to the comment from “Taxed”, repeatedly asserting that the person questioning him has mental health issues. He does not disclose his own psychiatric history or recent prescriptions.
Name Wolfgang Halbig
August 27, 2010 at 12:22 pm
TO;
NAME TAXED;
You must have a very serious mental problem that could have been available for you if Campione did not shut down the LifeStream proposal when they were trying to open a Mental Health Facility in Umatilla. It would have created over 125 jobs, would have had a 3.7 operating budget and a payroll of 6.3 million dollars. Let me see a lawyer who charges by the hour what is it $200.00 per hour or more and lawyers know how to get out of paying taxes. Let me see public servant and I don’t pay taxes, you get taxed even if you retire. I am willing to donate have of the commissioners salary so one employee from the county offices can be rehired. Maybe if the other four would to the same we now have four more jobs saved. You are absoultely right the Land Developers need big time business and if I recall those Land Devlopers who designed those fancy Community Developement District and ran with the profits leaving the homewoners and board of directors holding the loans. What was it six huge developements are in serious trouble and you are telling me that I don’t understand business. You need mental health and if you are going to attack my 38 years of public service please have the courage to use your name instead of hiding behind NAMED TAXED. This is why Lake County is in trouble.
“Taxed” again responds later that day:
Name Taxed
August 27, 2010 at 5:04 pm
Mr. Halbig, I must say I’m glad that the mental problem was not available to me. As best I can decipher from your comments, you stand for protecting government jobs and social programs at current or higher levels. I feel these areas need reducing in close proportion to what is available to fund them (taxpayer’s incomes). That is why I’m against lifelong public service employees holding the positions once again. I’m not out to insult you and I would like to discuss our differences in views if you wish to reply with a number or e-mail address.
September 7 2010: Wolfgang Halbig speaks at the public comment portion of a meeting of the Lake County Board of Commissioners meeting.[LINK]
Mr. Wolfgang Halbig, a resident of Sorrento, stated that he has spent the last several weeks studying the budget that was proposed by the Board, and he expressed concern about the lack of consolidation and the duplication of fire and ambulance services, which he believed could save at least $8 million. He also was concerned that the account for Lake-Sumter EMS contained $3.5 million in reserves.
September 17 2010: a user posting under the name “Wolfgang Halbig” responds to the latest blog post from Right Side of the Lake, which addresses “impact fees.” [LINK]. Notably, he describes his appearance at the County Commission ten days before, and indicates that he was not well received at the public session.
Name Wolfgang Halbig
September 17, 2010 at 8:53 am
Be careful of what you say because they may find you and sight you with a personal impact fee.
This County is unbeliveable in how they conduct business, you have County Commissioners using their own e-mail accounts to communicate with Contractors, Land Developers, Insurance Brokers, and on and on.
They should be required by policy to use only the Lake County e-mail accounts and use only cell phones provided by the county for their use for accountabilty and Transparency to the public when requested. We are paying their high salaries. This is the least they can do.
I recommended just recently at one of the County Commissioners Board meeting that they need to immediately consolidate the Fire and Lake and Sumter Amubulance Services which is County subsidized with $8,000,000 million tax dollars. This one move would stop duplication of services and save the Lake County Tax payer over $11,000,000 million dollars. No comment from the Interim County Manager who should be presenting that idead for cost savings measures and show some innovation.]
This County needs to hire a bulldog no non sense County Manager who has and is not afraid to take on the good old boys network realizing that he or she may not last long but it will be a cause worth taking on for the benefit of the people of Lake County.
They are looking to approve a Deputy County Managers position payiong a $147,000 thousand dollars when you don’t even have a COunty Manager.
Now what is that about?
Wait till you have a County Manager and then allow him or her to select his Deputy Manager in solving the financial crisis within the Lake County Commission.
NO employee from the Lake County Commissioners offices should have been terminated or placed on taken days off without pay since they can find $11,000,000 million dollars to build an EOC Emergency Operations Center which if you watch clsoely will have the Lake and Sumter Ambulance Dispatch offices within that building. That tells me that my recommendation will have no merit.
Why have public imput at the Lake County Commissioners Meetings? they don’t listen, they mock the peole who speak and show disrespect to Marylin Bainter who does her homeowrk and is serious as a heart beat in trying to make Lake County a better place to live for the taxpayers.
The Commissioners I believe have forgotten that when the public speaks that they are there boss and not be demeaned by there comments by some of the Commissioners.
Repect must be in place at all times no matter what the issues are.
It is time for people to get involved on behave of your children, grandchildren and great grandchildrens future. It is no longer just about us it is about them and what we leave them.
September 21, 2010: at another “citizen question and comment period” session of Lake County board of County Commissioners, Wolfgang Halbig lobbies to consolidate emergency services in the county: [LINK]
CITIZEN QUESTION AND COMMENT PERIOD
Mr. Wolfgang Halbig, after handing out copies of the financial statement and audit of Lake-Sumter Emergency Medical Services (EMS), related that he had come before the Board several weeks ago to recommend that the Board seriously look into consolidation of Fire and Lake-Sumter EMS services, and he was concerned that the Board was thinking of bidding those services instead. He pointed out that the budget book indicated that there was currently $10 million set aside in tax subsidies for the Lake-Sumter EMS ambulance services, and he opined that consolidation of those services would save $11 million. He also suggested that the County hire a new County Manager immediately before hiring a Deputy County Manager and enact a policy that would require all of the County Commissioners to use only the County e-mail system and phones for County business to ensure transparency.
September 30, 2010: Another story is published by “The Right Side of the Lake” newsletter, claiming that Wolfgang Halbig had become “unhinged” and made potentially racist statements at an NAACP Forum. The event was presumably part of the campaign for the upcoming election. [LINK]
The newsletter then shares several other initiatives that Halbig has championed over the years – such as the Quadro Tracker and the “Real Hero” amendment, all of which lead the Right Side of the Lake writer to the conclusion that “Halbig has a history of nutty ideas that really makes him look like one of the tin foil hat wearers”:
In August of 2003, Halbig spearheaded an effort through the Real Hero Foundation to get a petition signed to change the Florida Constitution. The proposed amendment would have required all Florida House Members to spend four days per year in a classroom. His attempt to get enough signatures failed miserably, and it would have been ruled unconstitutional anyway because you cannot mandate something like this of elected officials.
“Now, Halbig seeks to add a 5-cent tax on water bottles of just Niagara Bottling to help those children in serious need because of the economy. The notion sounds all warm and fuzzy, but you can’t selectively tax a business like this, and the Lake County Commission doesn’t have the authority to impose a sales tax of this matter. This is yet another nutty idea that Halbig has not thought through.
Halbig’s other bright idea is to take the $300,000 paid to the Orlando EDC and use it to market Lake County’s foreclosed properties to areas which are subjected to natural disasters. What he doesn’t understand is that foreclosed homes are being marketed, but not many people are able to purchase them because they can’t get a loan. His plan does nothing to address the real issue of selling distressed properties; rather, it only alienates the economic development of people who could help us the most. Plus, who’s going to force these people to move from natural disaster areas?”
The blog also calls him out about his possible negligence regarding mold inspections, under the sub-heading “Putting Children at Risk”:
According to information we obtained from Halbig himself, and his files, he has a history of filing workers compensation claims against his employers at Lake County and Seminole County Schools. When we asked him about this, he claimed there was a tripping incident at Dabney Elementary, and he told us that he was suffering from respiratory issues due to him investigating mold issues at new schools. He said the district was turning off air conditioning chilling units at night, which was causing toxic mold, and he believes he was exposed to it over a four year period.
We asked him if he ever reported the mold to the proper authorities because of the health hazard to children and teachers and he said, “You do not want to hear about the toxic mold because it get parents really upset and the last thing I want to do is create problems that cannot be fixed because the rule makers are the school board members and the school superintendent. The State Department of Education has no say on Indoor Air Quality and Toxic Mold issues in schools or employee work centers.”
The above statement by Halbig is horrific because, if true, he’s put the health of Lake County’s children at risk while he was Director of Security and Safety. He obviously was more concerned about his job at the School District back then. Citizens for Better Government, L.L.C. believes that the Lake County School Board should immediately inquire into the issue of possible toxic molds in our schools. Our concern is how many children have been knowingly exposed to toxic mold because some school bureaucrat decided to save a few pennies at night by turning air conditioners off? This is serious; shame on Halbig for not letting parents and teachers know!
Question #17 Wolfgang Halbig MUST answer: How could you send those children into those filthy schools, knowing about the toxic mold? You call yourself an “expert witness” but if you witness, some toxic mold in a school, do you run from it rather than doing your job? Where are the work orders you should have submitted to address this potentially very serious safety issue?
September 30, 2010: A user claiming to be Wolfgang Halbig comments on the article claiming that Wolfgang had become “unhinged” at NAACP event. The user explains that the confrontation at the event occurred when Halbig called out another candidate for having supposedly put up signage in the predominately black community only the night before.
The lengthy rant includes spelling and grammatical errors that will become a Halbig trademark in the coming years, along with the rhetorical distractions that will become familiar, such as claiming that anyone questioning him must be “worried” about his likely triumph:
Name Wolfgang Halbig
September 30, 2010 at 3:16 pm
First of all this was a Tri-City NAACP Forum Meeting in Eustis in which all the Candidates were invited to speak regarding their experience and qualifications for the office they are seeking.
Please interview the African American Community Members to get your facts straight.
When Campione shows up with her stooges every time their is a Homeowners or meeting such as the Tri-City NAACP they stack the deck. I guess spending $40,000 thousand dollars on a Tallahassee Political Consulting Group makes her not a politicain I guess in your eyes.
The female audience memeber was Alan Hayes wife who stuck out her finger trying to stop my comments about Campione which is true. She has not placed any signage in the Black Community until that night flooding the Community Center with signs and her stooges.
When you are telling the truth they call it obnoxious she just didn’t want to hear that she did not up up signs until that night. I stated that you get support from the black community the day you run for office not when you just need their votes.
The question I raised is why is there not a Black County Commissioner or Hispanic Commissioner?
As a High School Head Football and Baseball Coach I have worked very hard in every black and white community in doing what was best for their kids 24 hours a day. I drove them home after games when parents had no cars or did not pick them up or feed them. I don’t need to be noticed by the black community. If they check me out they will see that I am what I am.
You are right I blamed the big money donors and Land Developers who have controled Lake County for too long, they raised over $120,000 dollars for Campione to beat Steward.
Politicians love to have cookouts to get peole to come out to hear them speak, please tell me I am wrong.
I blame Land Developers for being Greedy and leaving not one but SIX COMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS IN BANKRUPTCIES with the retirees and family homeowners in those district holding this huge debt set up by the Land Developers.
Don’t print rumors because they are an outright lie.
Please check with the National Republican Party and my Donations for their causes, I was appointed by GOvernor Jeb Bush to the School Safet Commission and approved by the Florida Senate.
If you received unsubstantiated reports why are you writing about it as it where true.
Not know not ever have I recieved Democratic Support, another huge lie.
11/28/07 I donated money to the Hillary Clinton Campaign because when I vote I vote for the best person and donate to that person at that time whether Republican or Democrat. That is exactly what is wrong with our system today and that is why I am running as a NO PARTY CANDIDATE because I don’t want a party telling me what I need to do. I think I am smart enough to do my research and donate to whom I want without the RIght SIde of the Lake telling me what to do. I hope that others don;t follow their advice or Lake COunty will stay in Financial trouble.
I donated money to the MaCain Campaign because I am a Veteran serving in the United States Air Force in 1966-1970 if you want to check that out. I support the courage and honor that Macain showed. He endured torture day after day and the politicians in Lake County will never understand my vote that day as a Republican.
This blog has been played with in distorting the facts as to who really wrote the article. Please provide the hard copy and the source for accuracy.
I don’t even know Emery or what he really does. Never had a private meeting or even a phone call, unbelivable lies jsut to help the Land Developers and your comapny to get busines from the homebuilders, I hope that the people in Lake County are a little smarter that youn think!
I never bought 50 Quatro Trackers and you need you apologize for that lie immediately since the the Seminole County Purchasing Department will verify your outright lie.
We were featured on Dateline NBC for exposing the fraud since the FBI bought over 100 of these devices and you are trying to make me look bad to the voters.
I do believe that we will not fix Public Education in FLorida until every Florida Legislator substitutes teaches four school days a year which was attached to the class size amendment.
Guess what the Republican Legislators wrote to me; is it safe for me to go to the schools and do that? Another wrote am I qualified to be a substitute? Now just think about those two statement it makes you wonder why are schools are failing.
United States Senator Bob Graham gave up one day a month to work in jobs that would allow him to observe, speak with the workers, understand their frustrations, work conditions and he worked no reporters just work. And now you the Right Side tell me it is a stupid idea, well I will share that with the former Florida Governor and U.S Senator since you have all the right solutions in calling people names such as NUTTY. LOOK atb yourself first and what are you going to get out of supporting Campione.
The County Commissioners should have placed a .05 cent impact fee on every bottle ever produce by the Niagara Bottling Company because of the plastic and its effects. If you check there are water bottling comapnies paying a nickel to get the bottle back. Getting pretty desperate.
Please all those who read this site and just believe in rumors you need the buy the National Enquire it is far better reading from what the Consumer Magazine states.
When you hire a County Manager that is in charge of the entire County Budget and Manages all of the county mployees on a daily basis does not have to have lived in Lake County, FLorida. Now if you want to be a County Commissioner you must have have lived in Lake County all your lif so you and your friends can reap the benefits of the old buddy buddy syatem along with cronisym all over the place. They will make their money and move to North Carolina Mountains and leave the Lake County Tax payer holding the bag
It is time for an outsider to shake up the sytem or are your afraid of what he may find. I was a republican until Jim Greer the Head Of the FLorida Republican Party stole all of the money that voters donated. And you worry about me. I take that as a compliment.
Where does Parks live?
I live in the District that I am running for. Come an visit anytime.
The people in Lake County see through your lies and deception, you must be worried about the election or this article would have never been written.
I have said it all along this buddy buddy system is now clearly visible and now we know who the real players are.
“wolfgang halbig” adds a short comment again, the same day:
October 2, 2010: Another user responds to Wolfgang’s latest online outburst, pressing for more information about his job history, and raising several points about possible inconsistencies.
October 2, 2010 at 8:39 am
Wolfgang, I am very distressed by this account. You were very high on my list until these items were pointed out and after research on the internet, some were confirmed.
There are some areas in the original article that you didn’t respond to and I would like you to respond.
What was your job at the school system? The original story lists you as the Director of Security and Safety but when I inquired at the school office, they said that you had nothing to do with security and you were not in that position. They say that you were the Risk Manager and responsible for workers compensation and insurance. Is this correct?
That leads to my next questions, the original story says that you have a history of filing workers compensation claims at two counties that you have worked, the most recent at lake county. When I called I was forwarded to the risk department. The lady that answered said you were formally the risk manager. When I asked about your claims they would not comment. I have several friends in that work in the tavares office and they said that this is correct and let me know of other actions you have done to make the school administraton look bad since you were let go. I would like to hear you comment about this, especially about communication with the governers office and to the department of envromental protection. Did you claim injuries after you found out that you were going to be let go? Did you get in touch with the state about issues after you were let go? (All this was furnished by asking the same question to two people that work for the schools in different departments in the main office.)
Also what were the circumstances of your leaving the seminole county schools?
The same day, another user (identifying themselves as “John Hendricks”) posts a comment directed at Wolfgang, strongly criticizing him:
Name John Hendricks
October 2, 2010 at 8:56 am
Wolfgang ~ I’m sure you are a good person who is simply disgusted with the direction your adopted country has taken. You are right on many of your issues. The main problem with you and your candidacy is you have way too many issues! For instance, where Parks lives is none of your business. If you bothered to read the law the courts have ruled a person can run for political office such as commissioner, sheriff or whatever without a residency requirement. However, if elected they are required to move into the district! Most cities refuse to accept this court rulling and most candidates for same do not push the matter.
As too your comments concerning the Lake County good ole boys, it has always been that way. Your problem is you think you know everything and don’t know crap! For instance who do you think the real players are? You accuse commissioner Jimmy Conner of fraud in the insurance dealings with Brown and Brown at the school board since Conner has been a LCBCC member and as you say to some of the accusations made against you, where is the proof? The fact is here you are, a legend in your own mind. You come to Lake County uninvited after you are dumped over in Seminole county. You bless the Lake county school board with your presence and ultimately cause such desention you are terminated. This apparently is the cause of your mission. I can honestly say the one thing that brings about more laughter concerning you and your ways is the fact that you are actually more arrogant, oboxious and condecending than Jimmy Conner. If in fact Lake County could afford the misfeasance of your services of the BCC along with Conner the taxpayers could tune in to comedy hour and watch you and Conner attack each other for the next two years! However, that is not the case! […]
October 4, 2010: “Wolfgang Halbig” responds to the two most recent blog comments directed at him:
October 8, 2010: Toxic schools: Grand jury laid out mold problem – In an Orlando Sentinel article about mold in Lake County schools, Wolfgang is quoted. He asserts that his dismissal was as a result his reporting of mold problems, a new twist on his story that is immediately refuted by the school district, who maintain that he never once discussed any mold issues and was dismissed as a result of his contract expiring. [LINK]
October 18, 2010 By Denise-Marie Balona, Orlando Sentinel
And years after the grand jury report, Florida schools continue to battle chronic mold and water-intrusion problems, according to an Orlando Sentinel investigation.
Wolfgang Halbig, a former risk manager for Lake County schools who is now a school-safety consultant, argues that if the Florida Legislature does not make districts fix mold problems, they will get worse.
The situation, he warned, is already being exacerbated by districts’ attempts to save money by raising the temperature in schools and shutting off the air conditioning in at least some portable classrooms at night, on weekends and during kids’ winter and summer vacations.
In recent years, Central Florida teachers, parents and others have filed thousands of complaints about indoor-air quality in schools — blaming their runny noses, headaches and respiratory distress on mold discovered in classrooms, cafeterias, media centers, locker rooms and even nurses’ quarters.
“The state needs to really get a handle on how serious the toxic mold problem is in Florida,” said Halbig, a former executive director of the National Institute for School and Workplace Safety who said he was let go from his job in Lake last year, in part because he confronted higher-level administrators about the district’s mold problems.
District officials said Halbig was let go simply because his annual contract expired. He never discussed mold issues with schools Superintendent Susan Moxley, said the district’s executive director of human resources, Laurie Marshall.
October 20, 2010: Money fuels Lake County commissioner race – Sentinel article quotes Halbig on campaign contributions: [LINK]
Halbig bought $3,300 worth of campaign signs earlier this month. His campaign has raised about $11,000, including a personal loan of $5,000. The former high school athletic coach said he has been careful to ask for donations only from friends.
“When someone gives you $500, there’s an expectation that they’ll be getting something back,” Halbig said. “I didn’t want to make any promises to anybody.”
He said he didn’t mean to insinuate that Campione is beholden to anyone: “She’s a class act. She’s Lake County. She’s home-grown. She’s earned her way.”
October 20, 2010: Did Wolfgang Halbig seek psychiatric treatment? – A story is published by “The Right Side of the Lake” newsletter, reporting the indications that Halbig may have mental health issues.
The newsletter points out that Halbig was recommended to seek psychiatric treatment with Dr. Rosen after his compensation claim for the fall in Seminole County (which Wolfgang would elsewhere claim not to have followed up on, however they apparently do not learn of the anti-depressants and anger issues he experienced during and after the period he worked under Dr. Moxley):
http://lakecountygov.info/2010/10/20/did-wolfgang-halbig-seek-psychiatric-treatment/
October 23, 2010: With the November election date drawing near, Wolfgang conducts a candidate interview with the Daily Commercial newspaper:
Nov 3 2010: Election day. Halbig gets 5.7% of the vote. [LINK]
December 1, 2010: Article about Kathleen landing a $750,000 federal funding grant for Lake County Schools.
The primary focus of the grant was middle school science classes, but our goal was to get as much technology as we could in all of our schools,” said Kathy Halbig, Manager of the Innovative Learning Department.
2011___________________
January 7, 2011: Wolfgang shown to have applied for a job at Sanford Middle School. http://www.scps.k12.fl.us/PORTALS/53/assets/pdf/2011meetings/12511/AgendaBook.pdf
March 2011: Sanford Middle school newsletter lists Wolfgang as a Grade Recovery Class teacher:
June 2011: Wolf registers twitter account @halbigW. He begins tweeting and retweeting a variety of stories, usually attacking President Obama. https://twitter.com/halbigW
October 2011: Halbig is treated by a psychiatrist (he states in his May 2012 deposition that the treatment occurred “seven months ago.”)
December 2, 2011: a user “Wolfgang W. Halbig” posts a new thread to Education Weekly’s forums, under the title United States Department of Education Safe and Drug Free Schools Failed Promises with Billions $ Waisted. Note that this a forum on the same site that “Wolfgang Halbig” used to post comments on, but the two systems (comments and forums) appear to be entirely separate.
Since the Wolfgang W. Halbig account has since been banned, the post is gone. This entry is account’s first known post, and was in the subforum “Introduce Yourself.” The beginning of the post is still available in preview:
