In Memory of Robert John Deraney

April 20, 1958 – September 11, 2001

 A photo of Bob is available by clicking here.

This remembrance was written as part of the Tribute to the Victims of 9/11 project.

Robert died in the WTC tragedy of September 11, 2001 at the age of 43.   I’d like to take the time on the 5^th year anniversary of his death to honor his memory.  I did not personally know Robert, but I have found out a few things about him which I’d like to share with you.

First, is his obituary in the New York Times published on October 6, 2001: 

When Michele Haobsh learned last year that she had breast cancer, she called Robert Deraney, her brother, and said: "What do I do?" He provided answers, finding an oncologist and surgeon and accompanying her to chemotherapy and radiation appointments. Long before she did, he joined Gilda's Club, for people with cancer and their families, and made an appointment for her and her family. "He got me through it," she said.

Mr. Deraney, 43, a financial consultant who graduated from Princeton and the Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania class of 1983), was at a breakfast meeting at Windows on the World restaurant, One World Trade Center on Sept. 11.

He was the "high energy" family organizer, Mrs. Haobsh said. He planned the annual reunions of 70 relatives, ordering Lebanese food and creating a game - Who Wants to be a Famillionaire? - based on Deraney trivia.

Below is a moving tribute from Princeton University which sheds some light on Robert’s character.

Robert Deraney ’80

Robert Deraney was born on Apr. 20, 1958. He was killed Sept. 11, 2001, during the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Bob was attending a breakfast meeting at Windows on the World restaurant.

Bob’s untimely death deprives our community of a living expression of the kind of cultural understanding and open-mindedness that is so sorely needed to bring peace to the Middle East. Bob, a Lebanese American, was a Near Eastern studies major, and taught after graduation at Lebanon Intl. College in Beirut with Princeton-in-Asia. Terry Wrong ’80, who was posted in Beirut with Bob, recalls, “In a region where everybody has an opinion and usually a closed mind to go with it, he was gentle, reasonable, and open to the views of others.”

Deraney, a graduate of Wharton Business School, worked as a financial consultant and Internet specialist in NYC prior to his death. Bob will be remembered as a deeply caring friend and devoted son and brother.

Personally, I would have like to have known Robert.  I think we would have been friends and his death is a loss to us all.  Robert was loved and is certainly missed by friends, family, and even those that never had the pleasure of meeting him.  Rest in Peace Robert.

These days I hear a lot of arguing covering the differing opinions on immigration, amnesty, border security, and jobs that Americans won't do.  I find some of the arguments persuasive and thoughtful, others I find to be just so much hysterical demagoguery.

I think that we all can agree that we should certainly protect our borders because it would be insane not to.  However, the primary focus should be on preventing terrorists from getting in.  This job would be a lot easier if we didn't have all the illegal immigrants coming across making our job that much more difficult.

I'm frustrated that nobody seems to be asking the important question:  Why do the illegal immigrants sneak across our borders.  Yes, they want a better life, but again, why can't they get that better life in their own country, surrounded by their own friends and families?

The answer to that important question is almost always:  economic frustration caused by long term bad tax policy that smothers the growth potential for their society.  Once the frustration reaches a certain level, only two choices are left:  revolution or emigration.  Vicente Fox realizes this which is why his government encourages and assists those who want to flee across the border into the US.  That flight is the pressure valve release to prevent the pressure cooker of his society from exploding into a full blown revolution.

There’s always cause and effect.  We keep arguing over what we should do about the effect, when we should cut to the source of the problem and talk about solutions to the underlying cause.  The first action is to determine what we should do to help remedy the situation.  Well, the answer to that is fairly straight forward.  We should persuade Mexico to change their economic policies so that there can be economic growth and hope in their society.  That would, over time, lessen the incentive for those to leave.

The white house should lean heavily on Vincente Fox and the Mexican government to cut taxes; especially those taxes that stifle economic growth.  The first choice would be capital gains tax reform.  Currently Mexico has eliminated the capital gains tax on their biggest corporations registered on the Bolsa (i.e. their stock exchange), but they have a heavy capital gains tax on ordinary small business entrepreneurs.  That is just inherently unfair and a recipe for keeping the rich and poor in their current economic positions.  This is classic liberal economic policy of creating a zero sum game of my gain is your loss and visa versa.  It doesn’t have to be that way; my gain can be your gain.  Supply side economic policy has made it clear that we don’t have to fight over which one of us gets the bigger piece of a small pie.  The answer is to increase the size of the pie so that even the smaller percentage pieces can satisfy anyone’s hunger.

So let's stop arguing over the effects of illegal immigration and let's attack the root cause.  The white house should use its considerable influence to do whatever is necessary to push Mexico to reform their tax policy and thereby improve the lives of ordinary Mexicans.  Illegal immigration will then slow to a manageable level.