Irresponsible reporting can cause irreversible damage!

My name is John CC Hurd. Together with my wife, Denise, we own Auburn Family Restaurant and Auburn Monument. Recently your newspaper employee, Mr. From Staff Reports, found it fitting to report that we have been charged with grand larceny, welfare fraud and Medicaid fraud. One who reads this would automatically assume that the local business owners were on social services and got caught cheating the system. The article further reads that we failed to report our income from all of our jobs, which is also very untrue; however it was in the newspaper, so that means it has to be true. All of these accusations are a result of a re-certification application for Family Health Plus. When insurance costs for my family went up to over $600 per month, I could no longer afford insurance and went without it until Family Health Plus came along and we applied for that. In the re-certification process we are being accused of not reporting that we owned the Auburn Family Restaurant.

We did report earning a wage and provided the agency with both our personal and business taxes prepared by our accountant, which one would assume would clarify any questions presented in the application process. These charges stem from that application and I assume I will have my day in court; however, your reporting of these issues have already tried and convicted me of all of the charges. THE DAMAGE IS DONE! I don't get to tell my version or face my accusers until the legal process is over. I'm sure the headlines won't be nearly as glamorous for your paper, though. Denise and I have never intentionally tried to defraud anyone of anything. We are very proud owners of our businesses and our lives are an open book. We are very distraught over these accusations and must go through the entire legal process to vindicate ourselves. It's unfortunate that your paper printed the story before you had a chance to speak with us first.

John CC Hurd

Auburn