24 X 48 ILP Greenhouse

[FormerMember]

VA sent out their Voc Rehab counselor to present me with the Individualized Independent Living  Plan (IILP). They chieu hoi'd and are not going to play keepaway. Seems someone in DC said "We don't want to see this at the CAVC." Full size and full hydroponics. He forbid growing pot in it though as its a federal grant. Two year plan and they pick up the propane and electricity bills during that time. All the hydroponic computer gear, 12 2000W halide lights, raised tables, storage tanks, pumps. Plumbing, wiring and propane gas utilities hooked up. Just add seeds (not included). It only took five years and a trip to the BVA.

amen.

[broncovet]

Congratulations to the homeless Vets you are helping who will benefit the most by this.  You already seem to grow more food than you can eat.  

[green]

That is fantastic, I hope you post some pictures after it's constructed.

[FormerMember]

I do plan on advertising this far and wide. VA's IL Program is difficult but rewarding. As BroncoVet points out, I already grow plenty for myself. They just put too many seeds in a packet. I can do much good with more space. But mostly, it shows what VA has available if you fight for it. As the counselor put it, "I can authorize up to $2 K on my signature. My boss can authorize up to $ 79,999 on his. After that, we have to seek the authority of the VA Central Office. They can sign off for up to $179,999.00. At that point, the VA Secretary is required to sign off". According to Kris, I'm way past $80 K and they haven't even hired the project manager yet.

 

greenhouse + install quote redact.pdf

[Tbird]

congratulations - 

[Gastone]

And all I wanted from IL was a riding Lawn Tractor. Maybe I should turn my front & rear lawns into a Greenhouse.

I didn't push very hard, will have to revisit the IL program, in the near future

Semper Fi

 

[FormerMember]

We planned the assault operation carefully. Each step was documented and I wrote them up on the ILP blogs. Each NOD, Administrative Review,  VA 9 and SOC/SSOC rebuttals were replete using their own regulations giving them authority which they denied existed. The Veterans Law Judge was dumbfounded when I presented it to him. He had no clue such a program even existed-let alone that he could grant one. Half the battle with the VA is getting past all the Negative Nancys  and presenting it to a real, trained attorney/VLJ. They may be on VA's payroll but they also have an ethical code of conduct. 

One thing I noted was that my counselor was adamant about the personalized decision at the end. My BVA decision carefully stated the grant was unique to me only and could not be used by other Veterans. I agreed but also pointed out that the decision more broadly reflected that it is legal, and indeed permitted, to use these funds in this manner. VA has, since 1996, attempted to restrict or choke off the IL program and turn it into small inconsequential items like grab bars in showers. They also attempted to call riding lawn mowers and small tractors "mobility devices". Try driving your riding mower to the grocery store on a state highway. VA said there was no "avocational" application for ILP-that it was strictly a vocational attempt to bring you up to speed to work. If you can't work, then there's grab bars and electric can openers. My decision pushed them back a few years.

http://www.va.gov/vetapp15/Files5/1538123.txt

My counselor also said VA's VR&E policy is changing. I said I'd noticed that but also pointed out that there had been no corresponding changes in 38 USC §3120 or 38 CFR §21.160-.162 that would permit it. If it is ever challenged at the CAVC, this whole house of cards could-and probably would- come tumbling down. That was the purpose of my request and appeal. Apparently, VA (and VR&E ) didn't want to test the validity of the changes to the M 28 in Court and elected to grant it at the BVA level to prevent any precedence. 

Gastone, if you have the stomach for it, I'd go for the riding lawnmower, personally. I can just about guarantee you'll have one within six years if you start now. I could walk you through it in a minute. The only thing between you and that mower is a VA 9. You just have to prove you are so severely disabled by SC and NSC medical problems that you require the mower to attain "independence in the activities of everyday living." I finally hired a occupational therapist to write my nexus saying I would benefit from the greenhouse. It cost $137.45 and Medicare paid for it. My co-pay was $10.