CATONSVILLE, Md. (AP) - William Donald Schaefer, the colorfully outspoken and combative Maryland governor and four-term Baltimore mayor who left a legacy of impressive public works projects, has died.
Former aide Lainy LeBow-Sachs said Schaefer died at 6:30 p.m. Monday at his home at the Charlestown retirement community outside Baltimore.
He was 89.
As mayor from 1971 to 1986, Schaefer earned a national reputation for overseeing the transformation of downtown Baltimore from a gritty center of urban decay into a tourist attraction
.
The Democrat, a Maryland political icon who held statewide office into his 80s, battled to fill potholes as mayor and never missed an opportunity to tout his hometown, even jumping in a seal pool while wearing a turn-of-the century bathing costume and holding a rubber ducky to promote a new aquarium.
Former aide Lainy LeBow-Sachs said Schaefer died at 6:30 p.m. Monday at his home at the Charlestown retirement community outside Baltimore.
He was 89.
As mayor from 1971 to 1986, Schaefer earned a national reputation for overseeing the transformation of downtown Baltimore from a gritty center of urban decay into a tourist attraction
.
The Democrat, a Maryland political icon who held statewide office into his 80s, battled to fill potholes as mayor and never missed an opportunity to tout his hometown, even jumping in a seal pool while wearing a turn-of-the century bathing costume and holding a rubber ducky to promote a new aquarium.
22 comments:
I'm sure some will miss him, but I for one won't. He represented everything that was wrong with Maryland politics. Goodbye Mr Scrooge!
Willie Don, thank you for your service!
8:58, you must be from somewhere other than the eastern shore. He stated that the eastern shore was the "outhouse" of Maryland. (Yet tens of thousands of Baltimorons flock to it every summer)
God, you people are really mean! Joe, why are you letting this crap appear here? You are getting as bad as the other sites. A "Maryland political icon" has died, show some class and respect.
You might find it feels good.
Governor William Donald Schaefer was straightforward, honest, and lacked guile and pretense. I find most politicians lack these important character traits today. Easternshore natives want to remember him for one bad joke and forget all the good he did for Maryland. That proves to me how small minded we are on the Eastern Shore. I applaud the work of WDS and hope we someday have another "DO IT NOW" governor.
9:24 thats the only thing I remember about him.
People need to let the outhouse comment go. the man said it as a joke. the man did alot of good things for maryland and promoted the hell out of this state
9:24 you are one of the people that make others look down upon the eastern shore of MD. First off there are many counties on the other side of that bridge not just Baltimore so expand your knowledge. Schaefer earned his respect for what he did do to improve areas. Sorry the eastern shore wasn't one, but from the way some treat "outsiders" it's no wonder people stopped trying.
Have you ever for one minute took the time to realize people have no control over where they are born? Have you ever thought to see the fact many that move to the eastern shore do so to escape that way of life? Those people look forward to starting a better life, a better way of life, for themselves and their families.
I am so thankful there are a lot of good upstanding people on the eastern shore that are not so narrow minded as those like you. I am proud to live on the shore. I was not born here and after learning that those with your mindset are limited, I am glad I brought my family here so I can teach them morals, values, and respect. Thanks to people like you, I also get to show them how to handle ignorant, self absorbed, self righteous imbeciles as well.
anonymous 9:37, First of all, I do not moderate all comments here. That being said, its unfortunate that some feel the need to discredit a man who served most of his life to the state of Maryland. However, if I were to die tomorrow, some might remember me as the guy who told a public official she was a waste of good spe_m. I think we all have made statements we might regret saying.
I was fortunate enough to have met Mr. Schaefer a few times and always enjoyed his sense of humor. Like Donald or not, he was elected into public office by the majority of voters and that speaks volume.
"Sorry the eastern shore wasn't one, but from the way some treat "outsiders" it's no wonder people stopped trying."
So you admit the politicians whose duty it is to serve the WHOLE state do not do so, but have a problem with people speaking out about it? Bizarre.
How about at the end of his career when he disrespected a young female aide to the Board of Public Works in Annapolis. After she had delivered a cup of tea, then-Comptroller Schaefer asked her to “walk again” so he could watch her from behind. Real classy.
Of course people on the Eastern Shore aren't fans of WDS. He not only called the eastern shore the "s--thouse of Maryland", he also treated us that way. This attitude is still alive and well- just look at the 18% BRIBE the casino in Ocean Downs has to pay. That is my problem with WDS and many others like him. Their bread is buttered with the voters in Baltimore, but it would be nice if they would at least ACT like they cared about the whole state (again, that they are supposed to serve). Yet they do not.
And Joe, Barry served the City for a number of years as did Dave Winslow, Chief Webster, etc... so while we can all appreciate his longevitiy of service, don't ask some of us to stand up and applaud at what he did during his time in office.
However, while I vehemently opposed WDS politically, he was human and my heart goes out to his friends and family during what is a difficult time.
10:57, if they move here for a better life, why do they try so hard to change it once they get here. Also, Baltimore was used as an expample. None of the politicians do anything for the shore. They know they don't have our votes, they dont need them. As long as the have PG county and Bal. City they got it. I didn't like the man for reasons stated. Maybe he was great for the western shore, but not here. Maybe you should just relax a little. What I said wasn't that bad for you to be having a such a hissy fit.
The longer I live on the eastern shore, the more I am convinced that his "outhouse" remark was not a joke, but a very true statement.
Politcal correctness was not in the Mayor's (his preferred title) vocabulary. That was one of his qualities that I loved. He always spoke his mind and rarely offered apologies-though he did for the outhouse comment.
people don't know the half of it
Willie Don was as vicious as he was because he had a lot he'd prefer to keep quiet
maybe now that he is gone some will speak up
"I'll be damned if Im sending public funding to the shithouse side of Maryland!" - William Schaeffer
He was the cause The Balimore Colts left town. If you recall, he would not allow home games to begin until 2PM. All other NFL games began at 1PM&4PM. So, the Colts lost most of the tv revenue. In those days, to watch a game, you would have to pick it up on chanel 10 out of Norfolk.
Maybe they will build an outhouse for a coffin a parade Willie through downtown Annapolis so the worthless Maryland politicians can praise him.
Political correctness has nothing to do with his attitude toward the people of the eastern shore. As a PERSON he is totally entitled to hate us, but as OUR governor he was not. He was supposed to serve the whole state, not just his neck of the woods. And I know people like the Phoebus family in Somerset County are going to praise him, but what did he do for the avg Joe on Delmarva? What were his list of great accomplishments for Salisbury? Wicomico County? I feel bad for his family, but I also hate the fact that the minute someone dies they are turned into a saint. WDS had faults. We all do. There is nothing wrong or disrespectful with pointing these things out as a counter-balance to all of the bloviating non-sense coming out of Hon-country today. I feel bad for his family and friends, but my views on him and his legacy are unchanged.
You people that like to poo poo Donald Schaefer because of his outhouse joke should rethink your dislike of him.
He was the man that was instrumental in removing two drawbridges along MD US-50 and bypassing two others. He was the man that eliminated all the surface intersection along MD US-50/301 between Stevenville and Queenstown. He was the man that made it easier for people living west of the bay to come to Delmarva to spend their money.
When the weekend holidayers went home those that live and work here took advantage of those infrastructure improvements to enjoy a better life.
Disclamer: I moved to the Eastern Shore after Donald Schaefer finished his terms as Governor.
Sand Box John
I'll take William Donald's honesty any day even if it did hurt some feelings over the politicans who say what they think everyone wants to hear but are thinking something else.
What was he honest about? A little show called The Wire was inspired by his, and other Dems failure as Baltimore's Mayor. How about his meddling with the Colts and not allowing them to start before 2p and thus greasing the rails for their departure? How about the millions of dollars state workers had taken for retirement that he used elsewhere and thus now we have a largely unfunded retirement system that is going to cost the people who actually did pay their fair share? This is the honesty you admire? Walk again.
"How about the millions of dollars state workers had taken for retirement that he used elsewhere and thus now we have a largely unfunded retirement system that is going to cost the people who actually did pay their fair share?"
Please provide a link?
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