Public Official says federal government playing ‘Sugar Daddy Sam’ in most recent COVID-19 misstep
Ferris – City Manager Brooks Williams is not playing nice anymore since earlier this week when he accused the federal government of fundamentally changing the nation’s personification from ‘Uncle Sam’ to ‘Sugar Daddy Sam.’
“The federal government has halted our supply of COVID-19 antibodies with a policy blunder that can only be linked to the desire to create compliance on their political initiative surrounding mandates,” Williams said. “The federal government claimed they knew what was best for us at the local level – the local level that has been saving lives using this antibody treatment. That same federal government is now claiming that the State is responsible for solving the COVID-19 crisis.”
The Texas Department of State Health Services announced last week that there would be a pause in the shipment of monoclonal antibodies like Regeneron, due to a federal policy change surrounding drugs made by Regeneron and Eli Lilly.
Williams said this not only stunts the saving of lives in Ellis County where Ferris is the only city the County with an Monoclonal Antibody Center, but he went on to say that this decision to halt shipments of Regeneron – stressing the booster shot while those in need are waiting, will be regarded as one of the greatest failures in the battle against COVID-19.
Williams has been engaged in emails and letters to multiple elected and appointed officials, at both the state and federal since the necessary shipments of Regeneron were halted at the front lines.
“I can’t express the level of ire and frustration that we all have on the front lines for the lack of ability the federal government has displayed as it relates to producing adequate results regarding the distribution and availability of therapeutics in our battle against COVID-19.”
The US Department of Health and Human Services blindsided healthcare workers and officials in multiple states and local governments after hastily announcing that the federal government would be changing how the COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatment is distributed.
Williams on Tuesday said “If the term Uncle Sam is about the national personification of the United States federal government, it is time to change that to Sugar Daddy Sam. We are expected to just do as we are told and in exchange for our compliance, Sugar Daddy Sam will play nicely with us. If we aren’t compliant, there ends the generosity of Sugar Daddy Sam and begins the punishment. Antibodies work, period. To think that the federal government would halt therapeutic treatment as a form of coercion for the vaccine makes it a sad day in America.”
