Playing solitaire during the state budget battle was a bad idea for the two lawmakers who were nabbed by an Associated Press photographer. But the Republican politician who was snubbed turned the controversial incident into a little fundraiser.
State Rep. Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, shuffled cards with a group of Republicans to participate in a solitaire fundraiser and brought in a total of $550, the New Haven Register reports.
The funds will be donated to the Police Department to help buy a video monitoring system for Wildemere Beach. Officers hope the cameras help stop crime and noise complaints in the neighborhood.
An Associated Press photo, taken toward the end of a General Assembly budget session two weeks ago, caught two lawmakers playing card games on their computer screens while Cafero was speaking. After the photo was published, local Republicans called on one of them to “apologize” to residents for drawing “nationwide ridicule.”
“The picture is just iconic. It epitomizes people’s feelings about government. The Democrats just don’t get it,” Cafero said.
