Progressive Democrats and Tennessee State Route 191: Difference between pages

Revision as of 11:20, 27 May 2007

Revision as of 23:38, 3 July 2007

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{{Infobox road

{{Infobox_Irish_Political_Party |

|state=TN

party_name = Progressive Democrats|

|type=Secondary

party_articletitle = Progressive Democrats|

|route=191

party_logo = [[Image:Pdlogo.png]]|

|alternate_name=

leader = [[Mary Harney]] |

|maint=[[Tennessee Department of Transportation|TDOT]]

foundation = [[1985]] |

|map=

ideology = [[Liberalism]] , [[Economic liberalism]], [[Neoliberalism]] |

|length_mi=24.02

international = [[Liberal International]] |

|length_round=

european = [[European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party]] |

|length_ref=

europarl = n/a |

|established=

colours = [[Blue|Dark Blue]]|

|direction_a=South

headquarters = 25 South Frederick Street,<br> [[Dublin]] 2 |

|starting_terminus=[[Image:I-40.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 40|I-40]] at Exit 133

website = [http://www.progressivedemocrats.ie/ www.progressivedemocrats.ie]

|junction=[[Image:US 70.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 70|US 70]] at [[Camden, Tennessee|Camden]]<br>[[Image:US 70.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 70|US 70 Business]] at [[Camden, Tennessee|Camden]]<br>[[Image:Secondary Tennessee 69.svg|20px]] [[Tennessee State Route 69|SR 69A]] at [[Camden, Tennessee|Camden]]

|direction_b=North

|ending_terminus=[[Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park]] north of [[Eva, Tennessee]]

|counties=[[Benton County, Tennessee|Benton]]

|cities=[[Chalk Level, Tennessee|Chalk Level]], [[Camden, Tennessee|Camden]], [[Eva, Tennessee|Eva]]

|previous_type=Secondary

|previous_route=190

|next_type=Secondary

|next_route=192

}}

'''State Route 191''' (abbreviated '''SR 191''') is a secondary [[state highway]] in [[Benton County, Tennessee]]. It runs from [[Interstate 40]] (Exit 133) north to [[Nathan Bedford Forest State Park]] just north of [[Eva, Tennessee]]. This highway crosses [[US 70]], Business US 70, and State Route 69A. The section of road from I-40 to [[US 70]] is also known as Birdsong Road. This highway passes through the small communities of [[Chalk Level, Tennessee]], [[Eva, Tennessee]], and [[Camden, Tennessee]].

The '''Progressive Democrats''' ([[Irish language|Irish]] ''An Páirtí Daonlathach'', lit.: ''The Democratic Party'') is a [[free market]] [[liberal parties|liberal party]] in the [[Republic of Ireland]] founded in 1985 . It adopts liberal positions on both [[Liberal theory of economics|economic]] issues and social or moral matters. Despite its liberal position on many issues, PD members are often seen as being quite conservative on immigration. It is a member of the [[European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party]] (ELDR). It polled 4% at the [[Irish general election, 1997|1997]] and [[Irish general election, 2002|2002]] and 2.7% at the [[Irish general election 2007|2007]] general elections. Nevertheless the PDs have had a significant influence on Irish public policy in recent years, having been in [[coalition government]] with [[Fianna Fáil]] since 1997.

Near the northern terminus this road features unstripped shoulders, narrow roadway width, hairpin curves, and degraded pavement. All sections of SR 191 are quite curvy, with speed limits at the southern sections dropping from 55 MPH to 45 MPH. North of [[Camden, Tennessee]], the posted speed limit is 50 MPH and drops off from 40 MPH at [[Eva, Tennessee]] to as low as 20 MPH inside the state park. Total length of highway is 24.02 miles.

==History==

The party was founded in 1985 by [[Desmond O'Malley]], a former senior minister in Fianna Fáil governments under [[Jack Lynch]] and [[Charles Haughey]]. O'Malley was a strong opponent of Haughey and was involved in a number of leadership heaves against Haughey, who was popular and controversial in equal measure. O'Malley was finally expelled from Fianna Fáil for ''conduct unbecoming'' a member when he refused to support Fianna Fáil's opposition to the introduction of contraception.

[[Image:DSCF0883.JPG|thumb|Northern Terminus Picture, Mile Marker 24 North of Eva, Tennessee]]

O'Malley joined with Fianna Fáil members [[Mary Harney]], [[Bobby Molloy]] and [[Pearse Wyse]], [[Fine Gael]] TD [[Michael Keating (Irish politician)|Michael Keating]] and former Fine Gael activist [[Michael McDowell]], to set up the new party. The breakaways were dissatisfied with the policies of existing parties, which they viewed as being insufficiently liberal (both economically and on social issues such as divorce and contraception).

[[Image:DSCF0885.JPG|thumb|Southern Terminus Picture, Interstate 40 Exit 133]]

==References==

In the 1987 general election the new party won 14 seats and 11.9% of the vote, becoming the third largest party in the [[Dáil Éireann|Dáil]]. The Progressive Democrats formed the second largest opposition party under difficult circumstances. The minority Fianna Fáil government introduced some of the economic reforms that the Progressive Democrats had recommended, Fianna Fáil was however largely supported by Fine Gael where the economy was concerned and so the Progressive Democrats had difficulty in being effective in opposition.

*[http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/Maps/county/co03.pdf Benton County Highway Map]

*[http://www.tdot.state.tn.us Tennessee Department of Transportation]

[[Category:Tennessee state highways|191]]

In 1989 they formed a coalition government with Fianna Fáil, with Charles Haughey as [[Taoiseach]]. Haughey was replaced in February 1992 by [[Albert Reynolds]].

{{South-US-road-stub}}

After the collapse of Reynolds' first administration later in 1992, O'Malley retired from the leadership of the party. Mary Harney became the new leader and the first woman to lead any of the major Irish political parties. Harney served as [[Tánaiste]] (deputy prime minister) from [[May 1997]] until [[September 2006]], when she resigned as party leader.

In the [[Irish general election, 2002|2002 general election]], the party defied expectations by doubling its Dáil seats to eight, although its share of the vote declined slightly to 4%. It is believed that they attracted the votes of many Fine Gael voters who were afraid of a Fianna Fáil majority and believed that Fine Gael's economic policy in the election was reckless. {{Fact|date=February 2007}}

In total the Progressive Democrats have participated in coalition governments three times, on each occasion with Fianna Fáil (1989-1992; 1997-2002; 2002-2007).

On [[7 September]] [[2006]] Mary Harney announced that she was stepping down as leader of the Progressive Democrats. She expressed a wish to stay on as Minister for Health.<ref>[http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0907/harneym.html Harney steps down as leader of PDs] &mdash; [[RTÉ]] News article, [[7 September]] 2006</ref> On [[10 September]], [[Michael McDowell]] was elected unopposed as Party Leader, having been nominated by [[Tom Parlon]] and that nomination being seconded by [[Liz O'Donnell]].<ref>http://www.progressivedemocrats.ie/press_room/2029/</ref> Liz O'Donnell became Deputy Leader and Tom Parlon became Party President.

The [[Irish general election, 2007]], was a disastrous one for the party. Rejected by the Irish electorate, the Progressive Democrats lost six of its eight seats in the 166 seat [[Dail]]. Among those to lose their seats were both the party leader [[Michael McDowell]] and party president [[Tom Parlon]].<ref>http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0525/election6.html</ref> [[Michael McDowell]] resigned from public life after he lost his seat, and Mary Harney resumed the leadership.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mary Harney asked to resume PD leadership|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0527/pds.html|work=[[RTÉ News|RTÉ News Online]]|publisher=[[RTÉ]]|date=2007-05-27|accessdate=2007-05-27}}</ref>

==Policies==

The Progressive Democrats' economic policies are based on [[economic liberalism|liberal economics]]. They support a free enterprise, low tax and pro-competition policy base.

The Progressive Democrats consider privatisation on a case by case basis, generally favouring the privatisation but making exceptions under different circumstances. For example, they supported the privatisation of the previously state-owned airline [[Aer Lingus]], while opposing their coalition partner’s plans to privatise airports company [[Aer Rianta]], on the grounds that a private monopoly would be worse than a public monopoly. They succeeded in preventing the company from being privatised, and broke it up into competing companies instead.

The party has been a strong supporter of low taxation. As the [[Economic and Social Research Institute]] (ESRI) stated in 2002: 'On balance, budgets over the past 10 to 20 years have been more favourable to high income groups than low income groups, but particularly so during periods of high growth.<ref>'The distributive impact of budgetary policy: A medium term view' Tim Callan, Mary Keeney, John Walsh, ESRI Dublin, 2002.</ref> While the party was in government since 1997, the lower rate of [[income tax]] fell from 26% to 20% and the upper rate from 48% to 41%.<ref>

{{cite web

| title = Budget 1997

| publisher = [[Office of the Revenue Commissioners|Revenue]]

| url = http://www.revenue.ie/budget/budget1997/income.htm#Tax%20Rates,%20Bands%20&%20Tables

| accessdate = 2007-05-19

}}</ref><ref>

{{cite web

| title = Budget 2007

| publisher = [[Office of the Revenue Commissioners|Revenue]]

| url = http://www.revenue.ie/index.htm?/budget/budget2007/income_07.htm#4

| accessdate = 2007-05-19

}}</ref>

They support low corporation tax because they believe it encourages business growth and allows for enterprise to be rewarded. The party has often claimed these policies are in part responsible for the "[[Celtic Tiger]]" economy. Dermot McAleese, [[emeritus]] professor of economics at [[Trinity College, Dublin]], says that the emergence of the Progressive Democrats in 1985 may have had a more positive influence on the economy than some recognise. He argues the low-tax, pro-business economy we know today is based in large part on Progressive Democrat policies. "They proved that there was a constituency for this, and they gave the intellectual power to it." (The Irish Times, 31 December 2004).

The party is often described as [[right-wing politics|right-wing]]. Party leaders reject the idea that they are ruled by ideology alone. Former party leader [[Michael McDowell]] has said that he sees [[liberalism]] as not being on the left-right spectrum as it is a mix of the ideals of both. Mary Harney, on becoming health minister said ''"I don't get my politics from any ideology, I get it from my experience and common sense"''. {{Fact|date=May 2007}}

Despite espousing liberal social policies and having in its ranks the openly [[gay]] Senator [[Colm O'Gorman]], the Progressive Democrats do not at the present time support the right of same-sex couples to [[Same-sex marriage|marry]]. Instead, they favour legislating for [[civil union]]. This policy is consistent with that of the other Irish political parties, with the exception of the [[Green Party (Ireland)|Green Party]] and [[Sinn Féin]], both of which back [[Same-sex marriage|gay marriage]].

Both Progressive Democrats and other commentators have suggested that the party has had a greater influence on government policy since 1997 than might be expected from its size. This belief appears to have some basis &ndash; as of [[September 2004]] the party controlled two of the most important cabinet positions ([[Irish Minister for Justice, Equality & Law Reform|Justice]] and [[Irish Minister for Health & Children|Health]]) despite having less than one-tenth of the seats of its coalition partner Fianna Fáil.

In a 2000 speech to the [[American Bar Association]], the then party leader, Mary Harney, appeared to express a desire that Ireland become ''"closer to Boston than Berlin"'',<ref>

{{cite press release

| title = Remarks by Tánaiste, Mary Harney at a Meeting of the American Bar Association in the Law Society of Ireland, Blackhall Place, Dublin on Friday 21st July 2000

| publisher = [[Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ireland)|Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment]]

| date = [[2001-09-24]]

| url = http://www.entemp.ie/press/2000/210700.htm

| accessdate = 2007-05-19

| quote = As Irish people our relationships with the United States and the European Union are complex. Geographically we are closer to Berlin than Boston. Spiritually we are probably a lot closer to Boston than Berlin.

}}

</ref> adopting US free market models for economic development, health, education, and other services rather than [[Social model#Continental Social Model|European Continental]] models because she believed that the continental countries (such as [[Germany]] and [[France]]), while having more equality had bad economies and high unemployment. She said that the economic growth did not come at the cost of society.

==Leadership==

===Leader===

*1985–1992: [[Des O'Malley]]

*1993–2006: [[Mary Harney]]

*2006–2007: [[Michael McDowell]]

*2007–: Mary Harney

===Deputy Leader===

*1986–1989: [[Michael Keating (Irish politician)|Michael Keating]]

*1989–1992: [[Pearse Wyse]]

*1992–1994: [[Pat Cox]]

*2006–: [[Liz O'Donnell]]

===President===

*2002–2006: [[Michael McDowell]]

*2006–: [[Tom Parlon]]

==Progressive Democrats TDs==

*[[Mary Harney]]

*[[Noel Grealish]]

==Progressive Democrats Senators==

*[[Michael Brennan (Progressive Democrats)|Michael Brennan]]

*[[Tom Morrissey]]

*[[John Dardis]]

*[[Colm O'Gorman]]

*[[John Minihan (politician)|John Minihan]]

==Notes==

{{reflist}}

==See also==

*[[:Category:Irish Progressive Democrat party politicians]]

*[[Liberalism]]

*[[Contributions to liberal theory]]

*[[Liberalism worldwide]]

*[[List of liberal parties]]

*[[Liberal democracy]]

*[[Young Progressive Democrats]]

*[[Breaking the Mould]]

{{Political parties in Ireland}}

==External links==

*[http://www.progressivedemocrats.ie/ Progressive Democrats :: Liberal political party, Republic of Ireland] official site

[[Category:Liberal parties]]

[[Category:Republic of Ireland political parties]]

[[Category:Political parties established in 1985]]

[[Category:Progressive Democrats]]

[[de:Progressive Democrats]]

[[fr:Démocrates progressistes (Irlande)]]

[[ga:An Páirtí Daonlathach]]

[[no:Progressive Democrats]]