Matt Salmon: “I take serious umbrage with the arrogance that purveys this city in that we are the font of all knowledge. In fact, I…”

“I take serious umbrage with the arrogance that purveys this city in that we are the font of all knowledge. In fact, I lovingly joke with my constituents when I go back and say, ``I am from Washington, D.C., and I am here to help you.'' It always draws a loud amount of laughter because everybody knows that that is not the way things really are. If we can't trust our parents, who have the biggest vested interest in whether or not their children succeed in education, if we can't trust the teachers, if we can't trust the local school boards, whose members also have to run for election, then we might as well just fold up and go home. I have a lot more confidence in parents, in teachers, in our local school boards, than I do in some nameless, faceless bureaucrat here in Washington, D.C. I say we put the power back where it should be: in the hands of parents and teachers and local school boards. I yield back the balance of my time.”