OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Fmr. Governor Terry Branstad (R-Iowa) held a town hall meeting over the noon hour to answer questions regarding his candidacy, his goals for education, reducing the structural deficit, and restoring Iowa's leadership in education.

He told KTVO on Monday that he has the experience to fix current state problems.

"I reformed the budgeting process; put in place the 99 percent spending limitations. I enforced those. Since [Governor] Culver became governor, they have not been enforced. They have circumvented the spending limits 133 times in the last four years. We now have the worst budget mess in our state's history and we have the highest unemployment in 24 years," Fmr. Governor Branstad said.

Branstad said, he plans to cut costs with government programs by reviewing every program and agency and determine which ones can be cut and which are to be kept and protected.

Fmr. Governor Branstad served a record of four terms from 1983 to 1999 and is Iowa's longest-serving governor and in recent years he has served as the President of Des Moines University.

"I think if you look at results and experience, I have the experience and the ability. And I also have the vision by setting these ambitious goals for jobs and education and improving family incomes. And reducing the size of government to meet the needs of Iowa in the future," Fmr. Governor Branstad said.

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