When Terry Branstad started his campaign a short time ago, I thought he had to be joking. These are very serious times, a long difficult recession, too many jobs lost and many still picking up their lives after the floods.

At this critical time for our state and country, we're going to be asked to vote for the man who was leading our state the last time our economy was this bad, the unemployment rate this high and property values in trouble?

Branstad left with Iowa's taxes higher, and our schools were in horrible shape. He raised our sales taxes twice, raised the gasoline tax and got caught keeping two sets of books for a decade.

To have him as our governor again would be like throwing an anchor to a drowning person.

Someone needs to tell him he is not our governor. He is the former governor, as in history.

He is telling people on his campaign tour he left a $900 million dollar surplus and other lies. Does he think that none of us have any memories of him?

I hope the good people of this state have more sense than to even consider him for our future. The people that I know have memories of his days in office, and would never consider him as a serious candidate for the governor of Iowa ever again.

Lynda Smith

Muscatine, Iowa