Poll: Losing Confidence in Sandy Recovery Effort [AUDIO]
Patience is running out and frustration is ramping up for New Jersey victims of Superstorm Sandy, according to the latest Monmouth University-Asbury Park Press poll.
The poll also revealed that the overwhelming majority of Garden State residents feel the pace of recovery is far too slow and many are pointing the finger of blame at Gov. Chris Christie.
"Satisfaction with the recovery effort around Superstorm Sandy here in New Jersey is at an all-time low, and in fact it is below 50 percent for the first time," said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. "That's now dropped by 30 points over just the past six months. That's an indication that state government and the Christie administration is really losing the confidence of state residents very quickly."
Specifically, 34 percent are somewhat satisfied with the state's recovery effort while 14 percent are very satisfied. On the flip side, 21 percent are very dissatisfied and 22 percent are somewhat dissatisfied.
As most would expect, residents in the hardest-hit areas of the state are the least satisfied (54 percent) with the recovery.
"Three-quarters of New Jerseyans (73 percent) say that the pace of getting relief funds to homeowners is too slow," Murray said. "When we ask people whose fault is it for that slow pace, more say it's the state than the federal government. We've heard Gov. Chris Christie talk about federal regulations being too onerous, but we find that 46 percent of those who say that the state has been too slow say it's the state's management of the relief program rather than the required federal regulations. Only 36 percent pick federal regulations as the reason why the state's recovery has been so slow."
Consistently since Sandy hit the Garden State, roughly 6 in 10 residents said they were confident that New Jersey was spending Sandy relief funds wisely. In this latest survey that number stands at just 51 percent.