Crain's poll: 73% favor Sheldon Silver's removal

by: Michael Bouldin

Sat Feb 17, 2007 at 20:41:47 PM EST

Following Mr. Hevesi's resignation, Mr. Silver had agreed with the newly-elected governor to allow an independent panel to screen prospective replacements for the post, which oversees the state's $145 billion pension fund. But when the panel shut out all four state legislators who had shown an interest in the position, Mr. Silver reneged on the deal and supported Mr. DiNapoli.

Only 7% of respondents to the Crain's poll were unconditionally supportive of Mr. Silver, while a full 73% said Mr. Silver should be removed, and 20% said the matter should be settled by the Assembly, not the governor.

The anti-Silver sentiment mirrors that reflected in a Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday, showing that 35% of respondents felt lawmakers had broken an agreement with Mr. Spitzer when they voted for Mr. DiNapoli, while 18% felt it was a legitimate exercise of legislative power.

Snip. There's more.

However, considering that Shelly probably doesn't even have 50% name ID in the state at large, that Crain's is an entirely New York-centric medium, and that this result gels with the most recent Q-Poll, it seems fair to conclude that the Speaker's challenge to the Governor isn't making New Yorkers feel warm and fuzzy about him these days. Nor does it look as if the consternation over the DiNapoli elevation is going away anytime soon. If anything, this entire appalling episode seems to be strengthening long-held negative views of a plurality of New Yorkers towards their legislature. What's new is this: now, names are being put to the dysfunction.

The first name on the voters' list is Sheldon Silver.