Illinois medical marijuana program is failing patients

A family member has painful bone cancer that is spreading through his body. The state of Illinois’ application form for medical marijuana was requested in February. If he did not receive it in 45 days, he was instructed to call and request another form. The form never arrived, and calls to the application office are not returned or the voice mail is full.

Perhaps the inefficiency of the pilot program’s office is the reason only 6,200 seriously ill citizens in Illinois have been approved to receive medical cannabis. Why do so many genuinely ill people have to suffer when an approved substance with no harmful side effects is available to ease pain?

Jay Massey, Glenview

Kind man

The death of Jack Schaller (May 28) made me recall the first time I ate at Schaller’s Pump. My son was an avid baseball fan. I spotted a beer poster of great design. Something some kid would love to hang on his bedroom wall. Spotting Mr. Schaller, I called him over and asked, “How can I get one of those posters for my kid?”

Mr. Schaller introduced himself to my son, “Sox fan, hey?” My son nodded.

Within minutes a stool swept passed us, and Mr. Schaller began to scale the nearby wall. Suddenly, the poster arrived at our table rolled up with a rubber band. “Here you go kid, enjoy it!”

Legends are rarely forgotten in Chicago — and Mr. Schaller’s kindness joins them. He will be missed.

Vincent Kamin, Loop

Bad deal

Only a numbskull could describe or infer that the veto override on the pension bill was a good deal for Chicago taxpayers. Besides the point that there are no savings, just $843 million of legally required contributions to the pension funds being deferred, the deferral just authorized by this legislation will add $18.3 billion to the ultimate cost for Chicago’s taxpayers.

Clyde D. Cady, Loop

Money is no panacea

I know of no studies that show allocating more money to schools will increase learning. Mark Zuckerberg squandered $100 million, which doubled to $200 million, trying to improve education in Newark, N.J. Most of his money went to teacher payroll and administration costs. Although charter schools benefitted, and there was a slight increase in graduations, test scores in public schools for math and reading went down.

No amount of money can substitute for parent, student, and teacher motivation. Zuckerberg tried to address teacher motivation, but met teacher union objections. What has proved to increase learning is longer school days and more homework, both of which the CTU objected to.

Jack Kraus, West Chicago

Yes or no?

As a retired Illinois tradesman, I want to ask Donald Trump, candidate for president of the United States of America, only one very simple question. Trump’s answer to that all important question will be the deciding factor for millions of votes from tradesman nationwide. Does Trump favor “Right To Work Laws?” Just a simple yes or no answer, without any double talk!

Someone in a position to inquire, regardless of what form of media must publicly ask the Donald that all-important question!

Bob Pritchard, Homer Glen

GOP hypocrites

All of Trump’s primary competitors called him a liar, a bigot, incompetent, a buffoon, a con man and not “a true conservative.” He keeps on insulting Mexicans, women and Muslims, and he offers no details about anything he would do as president.

But, now that he’s won the Republican nomination, almost all the other contenders, even Marco Rubio, who called him a con man, are jumping on board his campaign. What a bunch of desperate hypocrites.

I guess Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush are the only two Republicans who have stood by their principles (at least so far).

Tom Minnerick, Elgin

Naive candidate

Bernie Sanders has been quite clear about his disdain for the Democratic Party, its policies and procedures. Perhaps it would be best if he — who until this election cycle was an avowed independent — returned whence he came.

After all it was Sanders who forced himself on the Democrats, not the other way around. That Sen. Sanders should now think the Democratic Party needs to bend to his will is really quite naive.

Kay Catlin, St. Charles