NYers wants Cuomo to push harder for minimum wage: poll

New Yorkers want Gov. Andrew Cuomo to push harder for a minimum wage hike according to a Quinnipac University poll, though the same poll also showed the governor's approval rating at an all-time high of 71%.

The poll, released Wednesday, revealed that 79% of voters support raising minimum wage, which is currently $7.25. Cuomo has come under fire for not aggressively trying get a raise through the ranks of Albany. Earlier this month, he said that an ideological divide between the Republican-controlled Senate and Democrat-controlled house would make passing the hike more challenging than even same-sex marriage.

"This is broader and deeper a divide. It's a political, philosophical divide," he said at the time. "Marriage in some ways is more of a personal judgment for people, on their personal values."

On Tuesday, dozens of demonstrators from the Occupy Albany movement ralliedd on the steps of the state capital building to champion a higher wage.

At the same time, clergy members statewide also joined forces to put pressure on both Cuomo and Republican state Senate members.

The state Assembly passed a bill earlier this month that would raise New York's minimum wage to $8.50. The Republican-led Senate has said the increase would be a job killer; they are pushing a jobs bill that would cut taxes for employers, and, they say, spur job creation.