Golden sworn in for sixth term as State Senator

State Senator Marty Golden was sworn in for his sixth term during a lavish ceremony at Kingsborough Community College on Wednesday, January 30.

Nearly 100 local leaders from Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Gerritsen Beach and Sheepshead Bay came to the event in Manhattan Beach. Golden said he chose the location to show support for the “trials and tribulations” it suffered during Sandy. The neighborhood was just added last year to the 22^nd Senate District represented by Golden.

Bay Ridge attorney Simon Shamoun, who served as master of ceremonies, noted that the state senator had tirelessly worked with the relief efforts during and after the storm.

“Marty Golden was our voice when it felt like no one was listening,” he said.

Before Golden took the oath of office, there was a performance by his brother Donny Golden’s School of Irish Dance. LaGuardia High School student Amanda Marucci — a Teen Idol competitor in 2012 — sang the National Anthem and “God Bless America.” There was also a presentation of color guards by the Marine Corps and Boy Scout Troop 20 led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Golden began his inaugural address by giving a shout-out to his 90-year-old mother and seven younger siblings, who were all born within 10 years. In the household, the children were expected to learn either Irish step dancing or a musical instrument.

“It wasn’t until I was about 14, when my father realized I had two left feet and a tin ear,” Golden recalled. “My mom and all my siblings have been my strength. They encouraged me to run from City Council to State Senate, even when it was a pipe dream.”

In his next term, Golden promises to create jobs, cut back on red-tape that burdens small businesses, close the budget gap, and make government more efficient by “merging state agencies that overlap and making sure that taxes are used for services.”

“It is not the time to rest on our laurels, but the time for action,” he said. “We need to rebuild our economy, schools and community, and that work begins now.”

Golden also noted some of his previous accomplishments, such as helping secure the Film Tax Credit, which brings in $420 million annually and created 140,000 new jobs, as well as creating the BioTech Industrial Park at the Brooklyn Army Terminal that also created new jobs and revenue.

“That’s real job opportunity. That’s what we need to move forward in our community,” Golden said.

The state senator said he would also help create a better evaluation system for schools and teachers. “We need to rebuild all schools so our students can seize the opportunities waiting for them,” he said.

Golden promised to continue to hold town hall meetings, such as the ones held in Gerritsen Beach post-Sandy. “We won’t stop until every community across the city is back on its feet. You have my promise,” he said. “It is my privilege to be your state senator. It has been a great time, I enjoyed it and I am energized.”

Golden easily won the portions of Assembly Districts 41, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50 encompassing his senate district by large margins. Those districts include Gerritsen Beach, Manhattan Beach, Sheepshead Bay and Marine Park.

However, Golden lost Sunset Park and his home base of Bay Ridge – Assembly Districts 51 and 64 which are represented by Assemblymembers Felix Ortiz and Nicole Malliotakis respectively – to his Democratic opponent Andrew Gounardes.