Louis Goldstein
The Beloved Tax Collector

"And besides, you have to be a very special person to be a beloved tax collector."

That’s how William Donald Schaefer, Governor of Maryland, ended his statements about Louis upon his death. Schaefer described him as a "velvet glove over a hand of steel…on the surface, all smiles, a charmer. But certainly no pushover, nobody to try to pull one over on. He fiercely guarded the state’s triple-A bond rating like it was his own. People were in for a rough time if they came before the Board of Public Works and didn’t have the right answer." 

Goldstein was described as a campaigner who never stopped. A lover of parades, he knew and listened to everybody that he met. A four minute walk to lunch usually ended up in a 20 minute procession of greeting people, most of whom he knew by name. He would frequently end his talks, big or small, with the statement, "God bless you real good." He was a listener who respected everybody.