By Jim Scott
DNAinfo Senior Editor
MANHATTAN — New York City voters overwhelmingly feel that Mayor Michael Bloomberg should have more of a role in the development of the World Trade Center site than Gov. David Paterson, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll released Tuesday.
Years of frustrating delays have New Yorkers fed up with the progress of the downtown rebuilding project, with 68 percent of voters saying Bloomberg should have more decision-making power.
"By law, the governors of New York and New Jersey run the Port Authority, and by practice, the governor of New York controls what the Port Authority does on this side of the Hudson River," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "But New Yorkers - fed up with delay after delay, squabble after squabble - would like Bloomberg to take charge of the Ground Zero rebuilding,"
It's not the first time New Yorkers have shown a desire for the mayor to be more involved in the project.
Bloomberg was favored by 67 percent of New Yorkers over former Gov. George Pataki in a similar Quinnipiac poll in 2006.
New York City voters generally approve of the job Bloomberg is doing running the city, with 61 percent saying he's doing a good job.
Not surprisingly, Paterson's popularity numbers are at historic low levels, with 62 percent of New Yorkers disapproving of the job he's doing.
"Gov. David Paterson's job approval tanks even in overwhelmingly Democratic New York City," Carroll said. "But voters aren't calling for the governor to step down."
Over two-thirds of voters think the governor should serve out the rest of his term this year despite recent scandals involving his role in an aide's alleged domestic abuse cover up and another involving Yankee World Series tickets obtained by Paterson.
The survey of 819 registered New York voters was conducted Mar. 15-21 and has a 3.4-point margin of error.
