When it comes to doubling down for the one true faith, size definitely matters.

Before.

As the depth of one's fealty is assured, so are the physical manifestations enhanced.

After. 

This much is clear.

Where before, 3rd district councilman Greg Phipps repeatedly and passionately pledged  -- both aloud and for written attribution -- that he was willing to stake his political career and council seat on the strength of transparent advocacy for Jeff Speck's downtown street network proposals, now he's changed the paradigm and is hitching his wagon to Jeff Gahan and the Democratic Party machine, trusting them non-analytically, without evidence.

After all, it is Gahan who absolutely and incessantly refuses to be open and above board about fading hope for Speck's proposals as a curative for our rotten streets. We've asked for tangible evidence to the contrary, and been greeted with chirping crickets. Gag order in place, Phipps is now aligned with cynical political non-transparency, and that's very, very depressing.

To slightly paraphrase Bluegill: We remember not so long ago when Phipps would have decried this type of insider gamesmanship. That shift, though -- that practiced, furtive glance in the other direction -- is the basis of political power in New Albany, particularly among the Democratic majority.

Too bad. I'm by no means angry, but sad at seeing once again what the local party machine can do to kneecap integrity.