Cushing experiences economic growth

The tanks have been built by a constant stream of workers who, while most have not settled in the Cushing area, have spent their well-above-average paychecks at Cushing's restaurants, gas stations and hotels. The tanks and the crude they hold also have driven up property tax revenue and have allowed local schools to raise more money in bond elections.

Before I could make plans to return to Cushing, President Barack Obama beat me to it.

The president spoke at a nearby pipe yard Thursday, and I spent the week in Cushing, reporting both on the community's reaction to the president's visit and looking at how the area has benefitted from the growth in the pipeline and storage business.

The president on Thursday endorsed one pipeline designed to move oil out of Cushing and gave at least conditional support to another that would move hundreds of thousands of barrels per day into Cushing.

It's unclear exactly how the two pipelines would affect Cushing long term, but the effort promises to create hundreds of short-term construction jobs, and city and state leaders already are planning what to do with the increased tax revenue from the projects.