(The Center Square) – New York City Mayor Eric Adams isn’t even halfway through his first year on the job, and he’s already under water from a popularity standpoint – at least for his performance – according to survey results published Tuesday by the Siena College Research Institute.
- By Steve Bittenbender | The Center Square contributor
- June 8th, 2022
- The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Siena surveyed 2,000 Gotham residents from May 22 to June 1, and only 32% told pollsters they felt the city was on the right track. Only 29% said the new mayor was doing an “excellent” or “good” job, compared to 64% who rated his performance as either “fair” or “poor.”
Adams’ “excellent” or “good” rating did not exceed 33% in any of the five boroughs.
“If New Yorkers had a honeymoon with Mayor Adams, it was brief, and it’s clearly over,” said Dr. Don Levy, the research institute’s director.
The poll found three areas where New Yorkers were especially critical of Adams. Only 16% supported how he’s addressed safety issues at the city’s Rikers Island jail complex, and just 18% backed how he’s handled the city’s homelessness crisis.
The former NYPD officer also got low marks for his crime-fighting policies. Those garnered just 21% support.
“Seven in 10 New Yorkers say they feel less safe today than they did before the pandemic; only 3% feel safer. More than three-quarters of city residents are concerned – nearly 4 in 10 are very concerned – that they will be the victim of violent crime,” Levy said.
As a result, 51% of those polled said they changed their daily routine to better protect themselves against crime.
When asked about the poll by reporters Tuesday, Adams saw the results differently. The mayor told them he considered a “fair” response like a “C” in school, which he said meant 64% consider his performance as at least fair.
“Mommy always told me to try to get an A, but she never told me I failed with a C,” Adams said.
While there are concerns citywide, those feelings of unease went away when polled about their communities.
More than three-quarters of New Yorkers said they were satisfied with the quality of life in their neighborhood. When asked about police presence and the quality of their sanitation service and public transit options, 69% said they were satisfied with each.
And while they may not be especially happy with Adams’ work so far, they’re split on comparing him to his predecessor. The poll found that 36% believe Adams is better than former Mayor Bill de Blasio, and another 36% feel he’s doing about the same. Another 17% believe Adams is worse.
Also, the poll shows that Adams gets some favorable marks from residents, as 53% approved of his style. The Democrat’s style even garnered 55% support from Republicans.
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Unequal Bargains
On June 18, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation’s Real Estate Development Advisory Committee gathered to discuss ground leases, the master retail lease, and the ten additional years being offered under the Island’s master lease. Howard L. Polivy, the committee’s chair, opened the meeting as a longtime host shows guests through a familiar house, pointing out the furniture as if it had never moved an inch.
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