City voters are fed up with how Mayor de Blasio is handling a string of federal and state probes rocking his administration – including his plan to seek contributions to pay for his legal bills, a poll released Wednesday.
Fifty-two percent aren’t happy with how de Blasio is dealing with public corruption, while 28 percent approve of his methods and the rest are undecided, according to a Quinnipiac poll with an error margin of about 3 percent.
The poll, while giving de Blasio good grades on his handling of crime, schools and most other categories, is also particularly rough on Hizzoner’s handling of the city’s homelessness crisis.
Voters disapprove of it, 55 percent to 36 percent, and whopping 96 percent of New Yorkers polled say homelessness is a serious problem in the Big Apple.
The survey also found that 57 percent of voters say de Blasio’s plan to set up a legal defense fund to pay his bills related to the pay-for-play probes is an ethical problem, while 37 percent are okay with it.
Voters also believe the mayor does favors for developers who are generous to his campaigns, 50 percent to 29 percent. However, half of those who say the mayor does such favors, believe the actions are unethical – but not criminal. Another 33 percent say it’s indeed criminal.
Compared to a “few years ago,” 54 percent of voters report witnessing more homeless persons living on the streets and other public spaces, the poll said. Another 14 percent claim the problem has improved and remaining 32 percent are undecided.
“Homelessness is a big problem, New Yorkers think,” said Maurice Carroll, assistant director of the poll. “There attitudes are a mixture of compassion and impatience.”
New Yorkers also approve of the job Police Commissioner James O’Neill is doing, 52 percent to 21 percent.
De Blasio’s sketchy numbers with voters on public corruption and homelessness were unveiled a day after the release of another Quinnipiac Poll that ended a year-long trend of voters rejecting the mayor’s re-election bid. The poll found 47 percent favor de Blasio’s re-election while 44 percent do not.