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New York City voters say overwhelmingly that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Michael Bloomberg did an \"excellent\" or \"good\" job responding to Hurricane Sandy, but they give their best marks to New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie and President Barack Obama, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Asked who did the best job responding to Hurricane Sandy, New York City voters tell the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll: *\tGov. Christie - 36 percent; *\tPresident Obama - 22 percent; *\tGov. Cuomo - 15 percent; *\tMayor Bloomberg - 12 percent. A total of 89 percent of New York City voters say Christie's response was \"excellent\" or \"good,\" with, 85 percent for Cuomo, 84 percent for Obama and 75 percent for Bloomberg. Bloomberg's handling of the storm helps lift his overall approval rating to 56 - 34 percent, his highest grades in more than two years. \"The storm-of-the-century brings out the best in Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New Yorkers say. But that love fest between New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie and President Barack Obama seems to have moved voters especially,\" said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. \"While all four leaders get very high marks - it seems a hug or two never hurts.\" Government and relief agencies favored Manhattan over the other boroughs, voters say 51 - 41 percent. Manhattan voters, by a slim 47 - 44 percent, say they were not favored. A total of 86 percent of New York City voters say the overall storm response from first responders was \"excellent\" or \"good.\" Grades for other organizations are: *\tUtility companies - 37 percent \"excellent\" or \"good,\" with 58 percent \"not so good\" or \"poor;\" *\tMetropolitan Transportation Authority - 75 percent \"excellent\" or \"good;' *\tRed Cross - 66 percent \"excellent\" or \"good.\" Bloomberg's odd-even gas rationing system is a good idea, voters say 85 - 12 percent. We are experiencing large storms such as Sandy and Irene more frequently because of climate change, voters say 78 - 17 percent, and climate change is caused by burning fossil fuels, voters say 62 - 29 percent. The city, state and federal governments should spend billions of dollars to better protect New York City from futures storms, voters say 80 - 14 percent. When voters are asked if they support this spending if it reduces the cost of disruption and restoration, support rises to 88 - 6 percent. \"High marks for the first responders and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority,\" Carroll said. \"But most New Yorkers think the utilities failed their storm-response test. \"When power-less people in Queens and Brooklyn looked across the East River and saw most of Manhattan lighting up, they complained about a Manhattan-centric storm response. \"Sandy and Irene are the daughters of climate change, New Yorkers say, and burning fossil fuels is at least partly to blame. \"If the preventive measures cost billions, New Yorkers say, let's spend it. Mayor's Sign Language Interpreter New York City voters approve 53 - 2 percent, with 43 percent offering no opinion, of the job Bloomberg's sign language interpreter Lydia Callis is doing. \"Is it what she says, or the way she says it? Whatever, mayoral signer Lydia Callis is almost as popular as her boss,\" Carroll said. From November 14 - 18, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,165 New York City voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones. The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia and the nation as a public service and for research. For more data or RSS feed- http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, call (203) 582-5201, or follow us on Twitter."}

Christie, Obama Get Best Sandy Grades In New York City, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Voters Like Mayor's Sign Language Interpreter

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