I have known George Plescia and Bonnie Garcia (pictured below to the right, with the Governor) for many years. Both are great people and both are very capable. Both of them, during their six years in the State Assembly, were quite articulate about the need to cut state spending (rather prescient given our current woes, don’t you think?). I 
recall Plescia (pictured below, left), when he was Assembly Republican Leader, calling for the Governor to "dust off" the recommendations of the California Performance Review and to start implementing them.
Earlier this week I read on the Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Alert blog that George and Bonnie had taken appointments from the Governor to serve as members of the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. This is one of those low-profile commissions where the appointees (hand picked by the Governor, Speaker and Senate President) serve and get paid big bucks ($128k a year according to the Bee). I reference the California Performance Review above because this particular commission was one of those slated to be abolished — read it here, Page 13.
To be blunt about it – I feel bad for these two esteemed former legislators — neither of whom, I am sure, have an overwhelming desire to serve on a obscure board that was slated for vaporization. Yet, it perhaps emphasizes the challenges of looking for meaningful employment when you are busy working in the legislature.
No doubt the two of them took the appointments in order to support themselves and their families, but I know that I am going to immediately start looking for job openings in the private sector for which either or both are qualified.
This Board, and so many others, need to be eliminated. And those that have battled the special interests that control the State Capitol for three terms in the legislature deserve a better place to end up than on one of them. Sigh.
Anyways, Bonnie hails from the Palm Springs area, and George from San Diego County. If you are reading this, and think you may have a more legitimate career opportunity for either of them, please contact me and I will put you in touch with them!