There’s an old axiom veteran legislators like to impart to freshman public officials – there are two things you never want to show the public: how they make sausage, and how they make laws.

Georgia State Representative Sharon Cooper says it has never been more urgent that voters stand up, take an interest in the process of how ideas become law, and make their voices be heard.

"Americans need to pay attention to what is happening in their government, to let their elected officials know how they feel about it and to hold them accountable for their actions," said Cooper, author of The Taxpayers' Tea Party: a Manual on How to Take Back Your Government. Our founding fathers wrote the ‘establishment clause’ of the First Amendment to the Constitution to ensure all Americans the right to speak their minds to the government. Far too often, we’ve ignored that right because it was too much trouble, or we just didn’t care that much about what was going on in Washington. Now is the time to take an interest and make your feelings known. This book explains easy ways for every citizen to get involved in the political process."

Cooper reminds Americans that we do not live in a proper textbook democracy, but rather, a republic. The people of the country don’t vote on the major decisions, but rather, they elect people to make those decisions for them. Her mantra is that we need to let those elected officials know what we think, and not allow them to rely on telephone surveys of small samples of voters to determine which position they are going to take.

In The Taxpayers' Tea Party Cooper outlines things Americans can do to take back their country, control spending, reign in taxation and bring us back to fiscal sanity. They How-to advice that includes:

• Become an informed citizen!
• Talk to your neighbors, friends, co-workers and anybody else about your political beliefs.
• Let your elected officials know how you feel.
• Don’t be afraid to work to defeat your elected officials when they don’t pay attention to you.

For Cooper, the need to deliver these messages to her counterparts in Washington, D.C. couldn’t be greater.

"When the representatives we elect begin enacting policies and laws contrary to our national wants, needs and interests, then it’s left to the people to intervene and let them know there are consequences for ignoring the voters," she said. "The bottom line is that angry voters have a tendency to throw the rascals out of office at the very next opportunity. There is a reason the founding fathers placed most of the government’s power in the hand’s of the legislative branch, what they called ‘the people’s branch.' It's because they wanted to get as far away from the style of government used by their home countries in Europe, where the people had little to no power. But this branch of government only works if people take an interest in what goes on there, no matter how distasteful, confusing or complicated the legislators try to make it. It's time to stand up and be heard."

Born in Houston, TX, Sharon is proud to have called Georgia home for over 40 years. She and Dr. Tom Cooper have just celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary and have lived in East Cobb all of their married life. She is currently serving her seventh term as the State Representative for the 41st District of Georgia. In 2002, she was elected Caucus Chair by her Republican Colleagues, and in 2004, as the Majority Caucus Chairman, she became the highest ranking woman in the Georgia House.

Currently Rep. Cooper chairs the Health and Human Services committee, one of the busiest committees the House. She also has been appointed chairman of the Special Committee on Certificate of Need as well as chair of the Special Committee on Grady Hospital.

Rep. Cooper is also a member of Rules, Judiciary Non-Civil, and Regulated Industries committees. In 2007, in response to her ever increasing committee responsibilities, Rep. Cooper assumed the role of Caucus Chair Emeritus.

Rep. Cooper holds several degrees, including a BS in Child Development, a MA in Education and a MSN in Nursing. Sharon has written two textbooks on Psychiatric Nursing and in 1994 she authored the original Taxpayers' Tea Party that encouraged the average citizen to become politically active.

A graduate of the first class of the Coverdale Leadership Institute, Rep. Cooper was able to pass a major revision of the state's stalking law while still in her freshman term. In 2002 A.G. Ashcroft appointed her to the President’s 30-member National Advisory Committee on Violence Against Women. In 2006 Cobb County Commission Chairman Sam Oleans credited Rep. Cooper as being the major catalyst behind the creation of Cobb County Police Department's Domestic Violence Unit. She has also served on the First Lady Mary Perdue's Advisory Committee on Foster Care.