SHORTLY AFTER THE start of the 20th century, the United States began making some critical decisions about control of the infrastructure that would define the nation's economic development. And one of the central factors in the debate was public versus private ownership.

There was talk early in the nation's sordid and ongoing affair with the automobile about private toll roads; companies would decide where and what to build, and users would pay. That never went very far. Private water companies didn't last long either: By the 1920s, almost everyone had agreed that water was a public resource not to be exploited for profit. Railroads in this country went the other way, which brought us the "octopus" of Southern Pacific.

Electricity was a mix; some states (Nebraska) and many cities opted for public control, but San Francisco got Pacific Gas and Electric Co. The phone lines were privately built and controlled too.

Now the nation needs to be talking about the information infrastructure, the 21st-century version of railroads, highways, and electricity. And so far the public is losing the battle. San Francisco ought to be leading the way to change that – which is why it's so frustrating to see the supervisors approve a deal giving private Comcast four more years of control over the cable franchise. And why we're nervous that the Mayor's Office, which is talking about wiring the entire city for low-cost wireless broadband, might allow a private company to control the service.

The only way to guarantee universal access at affordable rates is for the city to build, control, and run the service. An easy start: Kick Comcast out and take over the cable franchise. Another thought: Run fiber-optic lines at the same time as the sewage system is rebuilt. There are other options too, but they should begin with a simple premise: Essential public infrastructure should belong to the public.

· · ·

When I heard about J. Michael Bailey's study suggesting there's no such thing as a bisexual male, I was dubious. If that's true, how do you account for all the, uh, bisexual guys? Don't worry, we're on it: As part of our annual Sex Issue, Deborah Giattina does her own highly scientific study, which proves (if nothing else) that some bisexuals like to drink beer and watch soft porn.

Then there's the 20 sexiest things about San Francisco, a sexual IQ test, and much, much more. Almost enough to get my mind off privatization and WiFi. Almost.

Tim Redmond tredmond@sfbg.com