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California reached a high of 256 officers per 100,000 residents in 2008. By 2012, this number had dropped to 236—similar to the national rate of 235, but a significant decline nonetheless. Among police departments statewide, this meant a decrease of 2,903 officers, or 7.2%. Alameda, Los Angeles, Orange, San Francisco, and Santa Clara Counties saw the largest drop in police officers, accounting for 47% of all police officer declines. Sheriff departments saw a decline of 1,995 officers, or 6.3 %, statewide. Fresno, Los Angeles, Riverside, Sacramento, and San Mateo Counties accounted for 52% of all sheriff losses.

Public safety realignment substantially reduced the state’s prison population. Between 2011 and 2012, property crime increased in California as a result of this policy change. Auto theft increased most dramatically, by 14.8 percent—or about 24,000 per year. By contrast, violent crime rates did not appear to be affected.

November’s tax receipts could look somewhat disappointing at face value, but delays in collections and recording appear to have accounted for much of the shortfall. Relative to projections contained in the 2013-14 Budget Act, total November revenues fell $376 million, or 5.9%, shy of estimates. Those figures do not include approximately $440 million in late November sales tax deposits which, because of the late Thanksgiving holiday, were recorded to the State’s books in December.

To ensure stability and expand opportunity in California, Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) and Assembly Budget Committee Chair Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) released the 2014 Blueprint for a Responsible Budget today, highlighting priorities Assembly Democrats will focus on in upcoming budget deliberations.

The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council annually ranks the 50 states based on policy measures and costs impacting small businesses. For the second year in a row, California ranked No. 50.

In reality, the people who live along the coast should appreciate the “909ers” since they constitute the future – if there is much of one – for Southern California’s middle class. The region has suffered considerably since the Great Recession, in part because of a high concentration of subprime loans taken out on new houses. Yet, for all its problems, the Inland Empire has remained the one place in Southern California where working-class and middle-class people can afford to own a home.

Venture capitalist-scion Tim Draper, whose investment wins include Skype and Overture, says he plans a ballot initiative to split California into six states.

The U.S. economy grew at a healthy 4.1% annual rate in the third quarter, revised figures showed Friday, boosting hopes that the recovery is shifting into higher gear after years of sluggishness.

While there is still reason for caution, since a large chunk of the GDP growth was the result of companies piling up goods for inventory, the larger picture is of an economy finally firing on more cylinders.

California’s jobless rate dropped to 8.5 percent in November, the state Employment Development Department said Friday, continuing a positive trend after increasing temporarily over the summer.

California employers added a net 44,300 jobs in November, posting strong job growth toward the end of the year, according to data from the state’s Employment Development Department.

The surge in hiring was largely in retail trade, part of the typical hiring uptick during the busy holiday shopping season. Construction and manufacturing both posted healthy job gains, both for the month and over the last year.

The U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace in almost two years in the third quarter, the government said on Friday as it revised its estimates of business and consumer spending higher.

The Lone Star State turned up the dial on efforts to poach businesses from the Golden State.

Home resales hit a near one-year low in November and new filings for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, putting a wrinkle in an otherwise brightening economic picture.

A close look at recent migration data shows that a significant number of younger people do indeed prefer urban life and can endure, temporarily at least, the high housing costs that go with it. However, the data also show that as they age, Americans continue, in general, to shift to suburbs, and later smaller communities, looking to buy homes and start families.