October 30th - Amy Ieyoub

Amy Ieyoub is the daughter of former Louisiana Attorney General Richard Ieyoub. Mr. Ieyoub, who made unsuccessful bids for the United States Senate in 1996 (losing to Mary Landrieu) and the Governorship in 2005 (losing to Kathleen Blanco) had been attacked throughout his political career, attacks that Amy said were hurtful to both her family and her father.

“Watching him have to handle the attacks was really difficult,” Ieyoub said. “He would handle some of them well but would read the papers and not like the stuff being written.”

Amy Ieyoub, owner of SheBop Cosmetics in New Orleans on October 30th, 2008

Ms. Ieyoub, owner of SheBop Cosmetics on Magazine St. said that her vision of politics have been heavily influenced by watching her father handle the pressures of with local and national politics and by the support he received from his hometown of Lake Charles.

“I cut my teeth in Louisiana Democratic politics, and so much of my father’s support came from blacks and the blue-collar workers. It would be hard not to think of their issues as well,” said Ieyoub.

While much of Ms. Ieyoub’s politics could be partisan, she still has personal worries she hops that the government would find a way to fix. The first order of business for the new president? Health care.

“I’m 35 years old and its almost impossible to get insured,” said the entrepreneur. “I spend 300 dollars a month on medications, have a 6-year-old son and still need to get things like mammograms that not only would I like to get, but really just need to.”

According to Ieyoub the high cost of health care, and the restrictions to enrollment by many companies, leave her is a difficult situation. Still, Ieyoub, like many Americans is finding a way.

“Health prices are astronomical and it’s almost unattainable, but I’m finding a way to make things work for now. You make things work, you just do.”

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