RUST COMMENTARY: WHEN BILL GATES TALKS, EVERYBODY LISTENS

When BILL GATES, (Microsoft's president), speaks of the future, one listens. With an estimated personal net worth of $33 billion, he has the ability to influence the future -- especially in the area of computers and the Internet.

I found Gates to be intelligent, quick-witted and personable in answering questions at the Newspaper Association of America meeting I attended last week.

His words were ones of cooperation with the newspaper industry in dissemination of news ... but with the admitted capacity for Microsoft to be aggressively competitive. I have no problem with that.

Recently, I was told that Microsoft purchased a firm that does 80 percent of all auto retailers' accounting including keeping track of auto inventories. (Food for thought?)

Gates is investing in many computer software (he says that's where the future is) companies exploring new search engines and usage. He predicts major fallout in that industry in the next four to five years.

For everyone in telecommunications, radio, television, newspapers, etc. ... get ready for a wild ride for the next five to 10 years.

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KENNETH STARR spoke for 45 minutes in a low-key, historic review of the office of special prosecutor.

Although he did not specifically discuss the Clinton/Whitewater/etc. investigation, one could easily sense his disappointment with the questions of obstruction, perjury and witness tampering since the Clintons took the White House.

In a recent AP story ... "in denying access to HILLARY CLINTON'S notes between her" and a White House attorney requested by Starr, the White House made claim of executive privilege, attorney-client privilege and attorney work product protection. The denials came even as the White House was publicly declaring its full cooperation with the special prosecutor.

The records had been subpoenaed by a grand jury. Starr immediately challenged the claims on two of the notes. A federal judge sided with the White House and Mrs. Clinton. Starr then appealed and won before a federal panel in St. Louis.

The judges voted 2-1 to reverse the lower-court order and reject the claims that Mrs. Clinton's conversations with presidential lawyers were protected by the same confidences afforded clients with their private attorneys.

"An official who fears he or she may have violated the criminal law and wishes to speak with an attorney in confidence should speak with a private attorney, not a government attorney," said the ruling, which was made last month but unsealed Friday.

In arguing their cases, both sides alluded to the landmark Supreme Court decision in 1974 that forced Richard Nixon to turn over his Watergate tapes.

Starr observed that any good white-collar lawyer could delay procedures ... AND THEY HAVE ... on information being sought to conclude the investigation.

No one in the audience of over 500 newspaper people challenged Starr's remarks.

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Comedian and philosopher BILL COSBY displayed his depth and the use of a slow delivery to make his points about how newspapers can improve their news coverage: Be more objective, get the facts and quotes right and report with a heartfelt understanding about the people you cover.

ERSKIN BOWLES ... President Clinton's chief of staff, gave us all a 45-minute report on the economic state of the country, which is good. He rolled the reasons into one big generalization that it was because of the policies of President Clinton (I'll give him some credit ... but I'll give him MORE credit if they'll get the recently agreed upon balanced budget adopted).

At first glance ... it's a good step in the right direction ... though not far enough or yet realized ... one away from the centralized power, over-extending entitlements and restrictive taxes that have been paralyzing Europe ... and in whose footsteps we have been following.

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The mood in the Clinton White House is to put all attention on trying to pass a "balanced budget" and hope the scandals will run out of steam. But beneath the surface is fear and uncertainty.

1. The statement of Jim McDougal -- that he became tired of lying for the Clintons -- is very bad news for them. Independent counsel Kenneth Starr, a target of Democrats everywhere, is playing it cool. But indictments are coming.

2. White House aides contend that the hard-nosed investigation of Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., is actually good news for the president, on grounds Burton will overstep himself.

3. But there is no overarching Clinton strategy for how to deal with the investigations. The stonewalling has now been replaced by a degree of cooperation, but it is unclear how the president will deal with what is the worse to come.

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"ELLEN DEGENERES has `come out' as a TV character, and it is big news. She has been `out' in real life for some time now. So, what is the excitement this time around?"

Thus started a mailing I received recently which also included many Old and New Testament readings speaking against the sexual activities of many homosexuals.

I could easily state simply to love the sinner but hate the sin ... but the most meaningful part of the letter (if accurate) that I wish to share with my many friends are the following statistics:

"According to `The Gay Report' from 1979 by Summit Publishing, 78 percent of gays reported having had a sexually transmitted disease. As of 1992, 80 percent of U.S. AIDS in whites had occurred in gays, according to the Center for Disease Control. Also according to a Seattle study, 22 percent of gay men contracted hepatitis A, whereas no heterosexuals contracted the disease (New England Journal of Medicine, 1980). There are a whole host of diseases and physical abnormalities caused by this behavior and it is being almost completely ignored.

"Perhaps the saddest part of this situation is life expectancy. A compilation of 16 gay journals' obituary pages revealed that the average gay died at age 42, with AIDS it was 39. The average lesbian died at 44.5. With this devastating impact on longevity, why do so many in the media and the political arena bury their heads in the sand? We condemn cigarettes as being bad for health. If Ellen decided to smoke a Winston cigarette on her show she would be vilified because smoking is bad for your health. I will probably ruffle feathers for saying so but ... homosexuality is also bad for your health!"

I've had too many friends die young. It has been a great loss. It is not a lifestyle one should seek.

~Gary Rust is president of Rust Communications, which owns the Southeast Missourian and other newspapers.