Once upon a time a small community grew up within a larger city. The people gathered to consider the shared benefits of local government and schools, shared life together.

Over time the small community grew. Its boundaries, it city limits, determined the scope for its services. One day it dawned on the once small community that it actually served the larger city. The larger city wrapped around the once small community.

The once small community requested the larger city de-annex the areas now served by the once small community. This would allow the once small community to enlarge its boundaries so as to provide services more efficiently to the areas currently within the larger city’s limits. The larger city declined.

To this day, the once small community utilizes its resources, without compensation, to serve areas in the larger city.

Services provided by the once small community are not funded by those living in the larger city. One wonders if those living within the limits of the larger city understand the ways they are living off of the once small community.

And, the once small community continued to serve.

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