Word: archere
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...long after Governor George W. Bush named him Texas health commissioner in September 1997, William ("Reyn") Archer decided to restrict sales of dietary supplements containing ephedrine. It was a bold but logical move for the head of a nationally applauded state agency. An amphetamine-like stimulant derived from a Chinese herb, ephedrine was widely used for weight loss, but it seemed to pose serious health risks. Products with ephedrine had in the previous five years been linked to eight deaths and more than 1,400 health problems in Texas alone...
...months after Archer's decision to crack down on ephedrine, something curious happened. Archer abruptly changed course. He called in large manufacturers and let them negotiate looser rules for marketing their ephedrine products. A physician and son of powerful House Ways and Means Committee chairman Bill Archer, Reyn Archer had gone from taking the actions of a crusading regulator to taking those of an industry ally...
...While Archer affirms that "great American cities that have less than a million people" do exist, he doesn't want his to be one of them. But why? Perhaps he is longing for his beloved city to return to the bygone days when it was America's industrial center, the heart of the auto industry...
Still, a million people is a pathetic and arbitrary goal to strive for. If he's looking for a challenge, Archer should concern himself with having the best public education system, the lowest unemployment rate or the strictest environmental codes. While it is certainly an admirable undertaking to try and get every citizen counted, the purpose for doing so should be just that--to make sure that every person receives the appropriate federal resources...
...Archer is determined not to let that happen, however. He'll be damned if his city is the subject of ridicule. He has promised that he will "ensure that Detroit stands up and is counted...