Letter: Shortages should be a wake-up call to return manufacturing to the U.S.

I was super-annoyed to hear about a shortage of contrast dye for CT scans. A GE Healthcare plant in Shanghai China produces most of the dye used in the U.S. That plant has been closed for several weeks due to a COVID lockdown. A radiologist on a news show said that she hoped this shortage would be a wake-up call to return manufacturing to the U.S. The host quipped that we have had numerous wake-up calls - especially these past two years, and we keep hitting the snooze button.

When factories closed in the U.S. and manufacturing was offshored, middle-class workers lost jobs and consumers were made vulnerable to hostile regimes around the world for vital consumer goods.

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Why do we keep doing this?

Why can't GE Healthcare make contrast dye domestically? Why not in Illinois? Illinois used to be a manufacturing powerhouse. I think it could be again. Our state is centrally located, and it has access to rivers, the Great Lakes and an extensive rail network. Our natural advantages are the reason this state was originally settled.

Governor Pritzker and state senators and representatives: Don't wait for the next critical shortage. Instead of spending energy on making Illinois an abortion destination, work hard (start by calling GE Healthcare!) to make Illinois a manufacturing destination.

Mary E. DelValle, Taylorville

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Shortages are a wake-up call to return manufacturing to the U.S.