What Grade Would You Give Gov. Hochul So Far? [POLL]

NEW YORK — Kathy Hochul has been governor of New York for just a little more than 150 days.

When Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned Aug. 24 because of allegations of sexual harassment, Hochul, as the first female governor of New York, inherited the reins of a state still mired in the coronavirus pandemic.

One of her first acts was to require masks in school. She later required health care workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

A September Siena College poll said that 41 percent of voters favorably viewed the relatively unknown former lieutenant governor, with only 17 percent with unfavorable views, the Democrat & Chronicle reported.

[If you are viewing this on a mobile device and cannot see the poll, click here to access it.]

After Cuomo announced he would resign, and before she became the 57th governor of New York, Hochul said she would run for a full term leading the state.

Hochul has also amassed a sizeable campaign war chest of $21.6 million, City & State reported, as such high-profile names as Attorney General Letitia James and ex-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio have bowed out of running

Since taking office she's dealt with hurricane flooding, overseen vaccination milestones and the omicron surge, doled out funding for airports, unveiled a plan to restore Penn Station and proposed term limits for top state officials, to name a few things.

The governor just gave her first state of the state address in which she outlined rebuilding the health care system, taking strong action against gun violence, making housing more affordable and equitable and bolstering the state's teaching workforce.

Hochul also promised to green-light to-go drinks from bars and restaurants, something that was allowed earlier in the pandemic but was not continued.

Her recently released $216 billion executive budget was made more doable by the fact that the state took in $12.9 billion more in revenues during the first nine months of the fiscal year than had been predicted, WXXI News reported.

The spending plan provides a tax cut for the middle class and small businesses, gives $31 billion to schools, sets aside $2 billion for pandemic recovery and ups SUNY and CUNY's operating support by $1.5 billion.

While Democrats such as Westchester County Executive George Latimer said Hochul showed leadership in her proposed budget by addressing affordable childcare, transportation projects and the environment, others weren't as sanguine.

Assemblyman Dave McDonough, R-Merrick, criticized Hochul for not taking steps to make "everyday living more affordable in the face of rising consumer costs and inflation."

He said the prime focus should have been educating children in the classroom.

State Senator Mike Martucci, R-Middletown, however, was somewhat hopeful.

He said it was encouraging that Hochul acknowledged the years of mismanagement and "tax-and-spend" policies that left the state worse off than previous generations.

"The last three State Budgets have been a downstate, progressive's dream, but a nightmare for the rest of us," Martucci said. "Governor Hochul can and should choose a new course."

Now it's your turn to weigh in. Vote in our unscientific poll and grade Gov. Hochul's performance so far. Then tell us why you gave that grade in the comments.

This article originally appeared on the Yorktown-Somers Patch