The following is my response to Judi Puttman, Christopher Bock, DPM, Sam Cargill, MD, Daniel Clerc, MD, Brian Hiller, PA, Dennis Mauricio, MD, James Merrill, MD, Jeffrey Rose, MD, and Jude Verzosa, MD, for their rebuttal letter in the April 2 Courier-Herald regarding Councilman Darrell Dickson.

It is unclear to me why your business partner and Councilman Dickson’s wife, Holly Dickson, MD, did not also sign the letter. Interestingly, Mr. Dickson himself to date has never contacted me regarding my article to provide me or the community with a response. I did receive four e-mails regarding my comments from Councilman Hoke Overland repeatedly trying to explain Mr. Dickson’s actions, which addresses my concerns about thinking independently.

All of the above individuals and Councilman Overland’s response raise a flag that the content of my statements has exposed a truth that someone does not want to be brought to light.

I encourage the citizens of Enumclaw to go back and read the “Council Risking PSE Relationship” column by Rich Elfers in the April 2 edition of the paper. Mr. Elfers very eloquently presents the facts of the situation regarding the Enumclaw-Buckley gas line citing the window of opportunity for the Enumclaw mayor and City Council of 1995 to raise charges to Buckley, which it did. The contract was agreed upon and signed off by all the parties involved. If Enumclaw wanted a higher fee, 1995 was the time to negotiate the price for future usage, not 2014 for retroactive payment from 1995.

Enumclaw is now at risk of alienating our neighboring community, placing our Mayor Liz Reynolds in a position of doing damage control and the city of Enumclaw with a potential lawsuit. I do not find this situation as a way of looking out for a community.

As per Hamlet, “Doth Protest Too Much.” The Shakespearian phrase which is meant to indicate that a person’s overly vehement or frequent attempts to convince others of something have ironically helped to convince others that the opposite is true, by making the person look insincere and defensive.

Councilman Darrell Dickson is up for re-election in 2015.

Mary L. Ballard, MD

Enumclaw