Joe Henderson: Tampa Mayor’s race has become all about the mud

The race to be Tampa’s next Mayor has become a mudfest. People love that and should just admit it.

Check out the Page 1A headline Monday in the Tampa Bay Times.

“Is Tampa run by a clique?”

I read that story because that’s what good headlines should make you do, so it was mission accomplished. Well done.

The story goes on to report that some of the candidates are saying Tampa government is basically a closed shop unless you are a favored one.

That’s a serious charge if proven but candidates don’t have to really prove anything during a campaign (see Trump, Donald). Just saying things like that can have an impact if enough voters buy the conspiracy.

I asked the current Mayor, Bob Buckhorn if hearing this kind of talk stoked his Irish temper because he does have one he trots out occasionally.

“It does for a lot of different reasons,” he told me. “Statements like that do a disservice to a lot of people who roll up their sleeves and get things for the good of the city. People like that aren’t worried about getting their name on the side of a building.”

Wait a minute. Candidate David Straz said there is corruption in the city but hasn’t provided proof. His name also is on the side of the marvelous building in downtown Tampa where I watched “Hamilton” on Saturday.

Good show.

Anyway, the buck on corruption stops with Buckhorn and that would be a major blight on his eight-year tenure if true.

Ah yes, the big IF.

“No. 1, it’s wrong,” he said. “It’s unnecessary. And most of this carping and whining is coming from folks whose campaigns aren’t doing as well as they wanted. It diminishes them as people.”

Straz is singing lead on the “game is rigged” blues for sure but he isn’t the only one. Ed Turanchik, Topher Morrison and Harry Cohen are saying the same thing.

To be fair, the city has had some embarrassing events. Who can forget Tanja Vidivoc, who brought a successful lawsuit for workplace discrimination against Tampa Fire Rescue? But that’s not what any of this campaign chatter is about.

It’s about Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and his multibillion-dollar Water Street Tampa project. Critics complain he gets basically anything he wants.

Straz jumped in with both feet at a recent forum about, “The Vinik question, ladies and gentlemen, we need more transparency. And that is, what kind of money is going into Channelside? Who’s behind the St. Pete Times (Tampa Bay Times)? Who’s behind All for Transportation?

“Who’s behind a number of these things around town? Let’s get some transparency and find out what’s going on. If you look at some of the blogs you can get a feeling that not everything’s great. We need to investigate that much further.”

Buckhorn was dismissive and he made a good point.

“We need more Jeff Viniks in this town,” he said. “I guess those people complaining about him find it hard to believe someone can be as selfless as Vinik.”

True dat, but choose the better headline.

Option 1: “Candidate unveils 19-point plan to upgrade the city sewer system.”

Option 2: “Graft! Corruption! Favoritism for rich guys!”

I know which story I would read and with a week still to go before the general election there is time for more.