The one who swings the biggest bat on this issue is the mayor.

The ongoing dispute over the relocation of U.S. Marines on Okinawa should be quickly settled. This isn't just an issue for the U.S. and Japan. It has regional implications.

The ongoing issues are the strength of the economy and whether or not the pace of the recovery is in fact slowing down. One of the important things this week will be to see the extent of the damage.

The only clear picture we have from the job cut numbers this year is that employers appear to be confused about the direction this economy is taking, ... Companies are experiencing increased business, but they are also seeing their costs soar due to higher fuel prices, inflation in supplier prices and a weaker dollar, which makes it more expensive to buy foreign parts.

The only concern I do have is I'd like to see a couple more months (of data) put together here before we declare this torrid, hot economy as into another phase of gearing down. I'm not as optimistic yet that we have slowed everything.