Poll Shows New Yorkers Unhappy With State of the City

Poll Shows New Yorkers Unhappy With State of the City…

New York City is currently experiencing a multitude of problems. The most worrying problems in the city include a surge in violent crime, lack of safety, and the pressing homelessness crisis.

A poll carried out by Siena College in collaboration with Spectrum News NY1 showed how 1,000 citizens that participated felt about the state of the city. A majority of the participants of the poll feel that the city is heading in the wrong direction. 56% of the respondents feel that way, while 32% feel the city is on the right track. 

Safety and security have been a consistent concern in the city. 7 out of 10 (70%) New Yorkers feel less safe than they did before the pandemic. 76% of the respondents to a poll are concerned that they can fall victim to a violent crime, while 26% are not.  

Mayor Eric Adams stepped into power on a wave of promises to deliver and reduce the rates of crime. He arrived in his position with much fanfare but it appears the honeymoon period is over. “You would normally say that a newly elected chief executive has a honeymoon period,” said Siena College Research Institute Director Don Levy. “Well, if he had it, it certainly seems to be over.”

Adams’ approval rating has dropped to a very low level. 64% of the respondents feel that the mayor has done poorly/fairly while only 29% rated his performance as good/excellent. The poll, conducted by Siena College, sought a perception of the mayor’s performance in more than one sense.

His performance in terms of homelessness and fighting crime received a vote of no confidence, scoring 49% and 45% respectively. Adams did receive a positive score when it came to drawing tourists to the city, with 43% of the respondents saying he is doing a good or excellent job. 

Adams spoke at a media briefing that he was not concerned by the results of the poll. “My understanding, correct me if I’m wrong, there was an excellent, an A, there was a good, B, there was a C, fair,” he said. “Now, Mommy always told me to try to get an A, but she never told me I failed with a C. I think New Yorkers are looking, they’re saying, ‘We’re going to give Eric a shot. We believe he’s fair.’”  

“I think that, you know, listen, a C is not an A. But a C is not an F,” he added. “New Yorkers are hard judges and graders, we all know that. And so for a New Yorker to give you a ‘fair,’ they’re saying, ‘We’re going to watch what you’re doing.’”   

Governor Kathy Hochul did not come out of the poll unscathed. Her approval ratings were also determined by the poll. She scored 35% for good/excellent while she saw a disapproval rating of 54%. Hochul holds ambitions of securing a full term as governor of New York State. 

The poll was conducted with the participation of 1,000 respondents between May 22nd and June 1st.