Joe Henderson: Jeff Vinik’s support key to Tampa transportation issue

When Jeff Vinik decided in 2010 to buy the Tampa Bay Lightning, it changed a lot more than just the city’s sports fortunes.

Vinik has become one of Tampa’s leading philanthropists, and his massive $3 billion Water Street real estate and entertainment project is taking shape to give life to the moribund Channel District. The Lightning is regarded as one of the top franchises in the National Hockey League.

None of that was easy, but now Vinik has taken on perhaps his greatest challenge — persuading taxpayers of Hillsborough County to approve a referendum that will take money out of their pockets to improve the county’s shabby transportation system.

He has been a major driving force behind the All For Transportation initiative, which seeks approval of a 1-cent-per-dollar sales tax increase for 30 years to pay for myriad projects.

Vinik has lent more than his voice to the push. As Florida Politics reported, he has contributed more than $600,000 to help counter arguments from longtime opponents to this issue. That has helped attract other significant contributors, and the money has helped All For Transportation get out its message that it’s time to deal with the county’s choking congestion seriously.

For that, Vinik and Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn were mocked in a negative mailer by the citizens’ group No Tax For Tracks that referred to Jeff “Vision” Vinik and Bob “Billions” Buckhorn. 

Opponents have scoffed that, sure, Vinik supports this because a better transportation system will benefit Water Street.

Well, just my opinion, but better transportation benefits everyone. Actually, that’s a widely held opinion.

Hillsborough has tried to address this over the years but hasn’t come close to keeping up with the county’s exponentially expanding needs. Numerous studies have shown traffic congestion is the biggest detriment to the area, potentially stifling economic growth and well-being.

But opponents remain unconvinced that handing over the proceeds from a 30-year tax expected to generate at least $280 million a year is the answer. They don’t trust officials to use the money wisely, and that is not necessarily misguided.

For me, though, Jeff Vinik’s support is the difference.

In the eight years since he has been here, having moved from Boston after he bought the Lightning, Vinik has established a reputation for excellence and action. He hasn’t been an absentee sports owner. He has thrown himself into the community in a variety of positive ways and established himself as one of Tampa’s leading citizens.

I can’t imagine he would risk all that by being associated with something that he didn’t believe was going to benefit his adopted city in ways that opponents don’t realize or don’t to care to know.

They see the word “tax” and start to hiss and spit. They have even tried to argue that the proposed tax is a Trojan horse to pay for a new Tampa Bay Rays baseball stadium. They just made that up because the referendum specifically prohibits such usage.

Although the money Vinik has donated to this cause is significant, it can be argued that his presence in this push has been more valuable than the cash he has given.

Is that enough to get the referendum passed?

Look at this way: People didn’t believe Tampa could become a hockey town, but Vinik did — and now look. The Lightning has played to sellout crowds for every home game since the 2014-15 season.

People didn’t believe anything could be done to resurrect the Channel District after multiple attempts to bring life to a lifeless area had failed. Water Street holds great promise to change that.

Vinik doesn’t like to be on the losing side.