The Seal of the city of Detroit offers two dominant and ageless expressions. "Speramus Meliora" its translation --"We hope for better things "and"Resurget Cineribus"-- "It will rise from ashes." With voters approaching one of the most important elections for Detroit, these two expressions most accurately depict what all of us desire for our city.

Some believe that the deck is stacked against us. Others have said that we are facing impossible odds, but within each of us lies the power to shake things up a bit and to take this city in a fundamentally new direction.

Our time to seek immediate change is now. Real solutions that positively affect the quality of life for every Detroiter are critical to our well-being. While present administration has focused massive amounts of time on city hall scandals and egotistical policy, our neighborhoods are deteriorating. Our schools are not sound and secure; leaving our children as open vessels to violence and intimidation.

Detroit residents desire more for their city. The same failed leadership and corruption is not going to cut it and it's time for a change. We want affordable housing with the same quality of life as many of our surrounding suburbs. It's time to clean up Detroit and initiate transformation of our city. It is time to scour everything from the abandoned streets that make up our city blocks all the way up to our failed leadership, where in many cases; we need to wipe the slate clean and begin again.

With every election cycle, there are a few select "media favorites" or "celeb candidates," the big names that are given the spotlight narrowing our choices to vote for the right leadership. The campaign then becomes a popularity contest rather than focusing on real issues like getting the city back on track and on the road to recovery.

To the rest of the nation we don't look that attractive right now. There is a poor perception and automatic stigma that's associated with our city. Many residents even share the same views. I know that it's sometimes hard to imagine things being different when our neighborhoods are littered with an abundance of abandoned homes, mounts of garbage and debris, overgrown vacant lots and the proliferation of other eye sores that make up our communities. That is why it's important that every voter recognizes that it is your right to have leaders that are focused on improving the conditions for every Detroiter.

The city is at a very critical and vulnerable state. We can no longer standby and allow failed leadership to do nothing. If voters ban together and select candidates that can identify with their problems, there is no doubt in my mind that we can see prosperity and growth for the city.

We want a better life. We want our children to be ahead of the education curve. We want an end to the hopelessness and disparity that overwhelmingly affects our community. Let's no longer settle for the same old speeches and promises. The big names have focused their campaigns around telling us that they can fix the city's financial situation, that they will hire more police officers, eliminate budget deficits, improve public safety, bring integrity back to the office, reestablish community block clubs, create jobs, create workforce training programs, improve the bus system etc..

I say we've heard all this before. We need concrete solutions that are quantifiable not just the same old promises. Some of the big names promise to embark on massive building projects consisting of the downtown business area. This is commendable but what about the inner city where many areas continue to suffer and deteriorate.

Detroit does hope for better things. She will rise from the ashes; but only at the ballot box. By trusting new leadership and voting for change from past politics.