Rochester Business Journal Leading source of business news and information in Rochester, N.Y.

The majority of RBJ Daily Report Snap Poll respondents this week were optimistic about the stock market over the next 12 months, with nearly two-thirds expecting it to rise even higher. And in most readers' view, stocks are the best investment for the long term.

RBJ Daily Report Snap Poll respondents are closely divided on the issue of public prayer, with a slight majority-52 percent-supporting prayer at government meetings.

Higher education institutions top the list of the area's most important economic assets, cited by 85 percent of this week's RBJ Daily Report Snap Poll respondents.

Most of this week's RBJ Daily Report Snap Poll respondents gave low approval ratings to President Barack Obama and members of Congress for how they handled the recent showdown over approving stopgap funding for the federal government and raising the debt ceiling.

Seventy percent of respondents to this week's RBJ Daily Report Snap Poll say it is tough finding qualified candidates for job openings.

More than half of respondents to this week's RBJ Daily Report Snap Poll oppose amending New York's constitution to allow an expansion of casino gambling. See dozens of comments from readers.

More than 90 percent of respondents to this week's RBJ Daily Report Snap Poll say tax reduction is important to reviving the upstate economy, with 73 percent saying it is very important.

A two-thirds majority of respondents to this week's RBJ Daily Report Snap Poll say stopgap funding for the federal government should not be tied to cutting off money for the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.

More than half of respondents to this week's RBJ Daily Report Snap Poll say the government was right to bail out major U.S. financial institutions in response to the crisis triggered by the Lehman Brothers collapse in September 2008.

More than three-quarters of respondents to this week's RBJ Daily Report Snap Poll are pessimistic about City Council President Lovely Warren's ability to effectively lead the city of Rochester if she is elected mayor in November. Warren defeated incumbent Thomas Richards in Tuesday's Democratic mayoral primary.

More than 90 percent of respondents to this week's RBJ Daily Report Snap Poll favor Rochester Mayor Thomas Richards over City Council president Lovely Warren in next week's Democratic mayoral primary contest.

More than two-thirds of respondents to this week’s RBJ Daily Report Snap Poll say it is not likely that Eastman Kodak Co. will return to sustained growth and profitability once it exits bankruptcy protection.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents to this week's RBJ Daily Report Snap Poll are planning to stay in the area, compared with 32 percent who say it is likely they will move away in the next 12 months.

When asked for the primary reason why they live in Rochester, nearly half of respondents to this week’s RBJ Daily Report Snap Poll chose family ties.

The plurality of respondents to this week's RBJ Daily Report Snap Poll-30 percent-predict Phil Mickelson will win the 95th PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club.