Florida entrepreneur says he will not follow President Biden's vaccine mandate
President Biden visits West Coast
President Joe Biden made his first trip to the West Coast since taking office. He is slated to make several stops before heading to Denver on Tuesday. Points of focus for a California visit include not only a heated gubernatorial recall election, but also massive wildfires impacting the state.
ORLANDO, Fla. - President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate announcement Thursday is not sitting well with some entrepreneurs.
"It's really, really unfair it's unlawful it's unconstitutional it's certainly Un-American," said James Crocker.
Companies with over 100 employees will have to force their workforce to get the COVID-19 vaccine or give them time off to get tested once a week. Crocker owns Hog Technologies which employs more than 200 people. He refuses to force any of them to get vaccinated.
"I personally happen to be one that is in favor of vaccines, I think it's a wonderful thing that was done as probably saved a lot of lives. But we should be free to make that choice," Crocker said. "You know it's an attempt to sort of weaponize corporations and make me an enforcer of a policy that I am and radical disagreement with."
Crocker knows a thing or two about COVID-19. He got the virus in March of 2020.
We first introduced you to him in April of last year. He donated his plasma to Orlando man Kevin Rathel who was on a ventilator about to die from the novel virus. Rathel woke up on Easter four days after receiving Crocker’s plasma. Crocker has since held plasma drives at his business and donated his own convalescent plasma a dozen times.
"And I maintain strong antibodies here some 18 months later and evidently those antibodies are not recognized by, you know, the Biden administration," Crocker said.
\Hog Technologies produces large specialty machines. One model removes rubber from runways, another creates rumble strips on the side of highways and another makes markings for roads and highways.
"So you get a lot of business from the feds?" FOX 35 News asked. "Yes, virtually. Virtually all of our business is fed," Crocker said.
He’s willing to risk it all over this mandate.
"If at some point we don't take a stand forget not having a business we're not going to have a country, and I think that's far more serious," Crocker said. "And I think if now is not a time to stand, you tell me when is it time to stand?"
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