Most New Yorkers satisfied with government response to Hurricane Sandy: poll

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New York City residents overwhelmingly believe that New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and City Mayor Michael Bloomberg did an "excellent" or "good" job responding to Hurricane Sandy, according to a poll released here on Tuesday.

However, when asked who did the best in responding to the superstorm, New Yorkers have given their best marks to Governor Christopher Christie of the neighboring state of New Jersey, as well as U.S. President Barack Obama.

A total of 89 percent of respondents told the independent Quinnipiac University poll that Christie's response was "excellent " or "good." Cuomo, Obama and Bloomberg got an approval rating of 85 percent, 84 percent and 75 percent, respectively.

Mayor Bloomberg's handling of the storm helped lift his overall approval rating to 56 percent, the highest 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.

A total of 86 percent of the respondents said the overall storm response from first responders was "excellent" or "good," and 85 percent believed that Bloomberg's odd-even gas rationing system, introduced to cope with the post-storm gas shortage across the city, was a good idea.

Meanwhile, some 80 percent of New Yorkers say the city, state and federal governments should spend billions of dollars to better protect New York City from futures storms.