Tampa's mayoral candidates have few regrets

Their collective political experience adds up to more than a half century, but the five veteran politicians running to be Tampa's next mayor have few, if any, regrets about things they've done in office.

At mayoral candidates forum in North Tampa Tuesday night, the candidates were asked if they could take back one political decision during their years as elected officials, what would it be? Or, as Dan Ruth, the forum's moderator, put it, "what's the biggest bonehead mistake you've made" serving as city or county elected officials?

Former mayor Dick Greco told the audience was "no one particular thing" he regrets during his four terms as the city's mayor and a preceding term on the city council.

"I've been in politics so long it would probably take all night," he joked.

Tom Scott, who served a decade on the county commission and four years as Tampa Council Chairman, said he, too, couldn't think of anything in particular he regretted.

"I don't regret any vote," Rose Ferlita said, concurring with Greco and Scott. "We all make mistakes, but I've always been comfortable that I've voted from the heart."

The exceptions were Bob Buckhorn and Ed Turanchik.

Buckhorn said "I would have made the six-feet rule three feet" - lightheartedly referring to his vocal support as a Tampa councilman for a lap dance ban that requires patrons of strip clubs within the city limits to stay at least six feet away from the dancers.

And Turanchik said he regretted his support as a county commissioner for the rezoning of a proposed apartment complex off Hillsborough Avenue, which he said pitted a group of nearby residents against the developer. He said he regrets that decision because of the way the apartment complex was developed.

"It was a mistake," he said. "Every time I drive by there I say, 'Man, I screwed that up because I was trying to reach a compromise. It was a living reminder to me just how careful you have to be. You need to take time to do it right.'"