AJQ Statement on statues
Watch the video (at end of message) or read our statement (below) regarding the statues commissioned by Mayor Koch ahead of tonight’s City Council meeting. Concerned residents are encouraged to attend.
After the meeting, we will host our own community forum at President's Church Hall, located just across the courtyard from Quincy City Hall. To show solidarity, we suggest wearing black. Plan to arrive early, as we anticipate a full house with many first responders in attendance.
A Just Quincy Statement:
Prepared for 2/24/2025 city council meeting (6:30 p.m.)
Following several news articles, hundreds of social media posts, an online petition which has now been signed by 1200 people, and many calls and emails to elected officials, the Quincy City Council decided to put “update of the public safety building” on the agenda for Feb 24, 2025. The primary request of the letters, calls and posts was to have an opportunity for public input into the decision to commission two religious statues for almost a million dollars. Although we appreciate the Council agreeing to put the “public safety building” on the agenda, that was not the request. The residents of Quincy want and deserve to have a say in this process. Yet again, our elected officials refuse to open this issue for discussion. A Just Quincy has organized an opportunity for concerned citizens to have their voices heard. We will continue to advocate for the issues people care about and ensure that our elected officials listen.
The proposed statues of Sts. Michael and Florian commissioned to adorn the exterior of the new Quincy Public Safety building are at odds with the needs and wants of the average Quincy taxpayer. Our objections to these statues are based on the foundational and inextricable American value of a separation of Church and State, fiscal responsibility and oversight, and the overall tone and message of the proposed artwork.
We understand the tradition of patron saints and that Sts. Michael and Florian are special to the police and fire departments, respectively. But that being said, the working models, especially that of St. Michael, are overtly religious. It is precisely the type of artwork that the courts have instructed officials to avoid in public spaces.
Chief Justice Berger wrote in the court’s 8-1 Lemon v Kurtzman decision:
“The Constitution decrees that religion must be a private matter for the individual, the family, and the institutions of private choice, and it must not be sponsored, subsidized, or in any way directed by the state…
The potential for divisive political conflict along religious lines was one of the principal evils against which the First Amendment was intended to protect.”
The Massachusetts ACLU has also advised that these statues will fail all of the prongs of what has become known as the Lemon Test.
We are also very concerned that a large line-item purchase was added to this project without notification, discussion, and assent from our elected representatives, the City Council. The fact that an $850,000 purchase was not brought before the council speaks to the administration’s feelings as to whether or not this purchase would be deemed appropriate and their apparent belief that major decisions can and will be made without any oversight by the Council or input from the public.. This administration created a fait accompli where this transaction would happen before anyone found out about it. A purchase like this can not be treated as a gift at a surprise party. The content and cost of this should have been debated at council with input from the residents the building is being constructed to serve. Additionally, this administration has promised this body reforms to the city's financial controls in light of the egregious abuses and theft of funding meant for our city's seniors that went unnoticed for years. At the same time that these improved controls were being installed, these statues, with a price tag nearing $1 million, were being smuggled past your oversight. Any spending of funds over $10,000 (with a few exceptions) should go through a request for proposal process to ensure equitable opportunity for potential bidders to be considered for a city contract. It appears this process did not happen.
Moreover, our first responders are compassionate people who help our residents during some of the worst moments of their lives. We do not see our police and fire fighters as soldiers and warriors, we see them as public servants who use force sparingly, selectively, and rarely. We do not think the statues emblemize the important and challenging work our first responders do. Chief Kennedy recently remarked that less than 10% of arrests in Quincy involve any use of force, and less than 1% involve any injuries. We are thankful that number is not higher but we hope for the sake of our officers and our residents that the use of force metric can fall even lower. As Councilor Minton wisely pointed out, referring to the working model of St. Michael, “The statue would be misleading when it comes to the QPD, where members strive to keep its citizens safe.” I encourage everyone to carefully read Councilor Minton’s conscientious statement in its entirety. The councilor and former officer very clearly articulates our concerns in this regard. We thank him and applaud his courage to speak truth to power.
Finally, we encourage our city council to consider this:
The only way to stop the administration from bypassing you and our political process is to say “no” when they do. Every time you give them a pass, you encourage and reward the avoidance of your oversight. Further, we call on our city council to offer public comment periods, as the school committee does, before every council meeting.
And on behalf of Quincy taxpayers, we want to remind our elected leaders that it is OK to come in under budget. Just because the council approved a $175 million request, does not mean we need to find new and creative ways to spend the money. I encourage you to ask your constituents what they would like done with nearly $1 million dollars, you will hear lists that include:
—Offsets to property tax collections
—Climate controls for our school buildings
—Road paving
In conclusion, we all want the new Safety Building to be attractive and comfortable for city employees to work out of. We want this building to be a source of pride that represents our first responders and the residents who rely on them. To that end, we encourage you not to allow an entanglement of one particular religious faith in a brand new government building.
Our city played an important part in the founding of this country, so let it always be said that Quincy understands and protects the first amendment.
Thank you
Our mission
A Just Quincy's mission is to make our city government more just, accountable, and transparent. We will do this by providing information and analysis to help Quincy residents engage in the democratic process and by supporting candidates and elected leaders who promote government by and for the people. We welcome any residents who support our mission to join us.
