Municipal wi-fi was one of the many subjects of discussion at last night's Public Advocate debate in NYC. Public Advocate candidate and PDF founder, Andrew Rasiej, has made a city wide wireless Internet network the focal point of his campaign, pushing for it throughout the city as a means of making "New York stronger and better."

The lively, and at times, tense, debate was hosted by local TV station NY1 and sponsored by the city’s Campaign Finance Board (Read and watch NY1 coverage). The moderator wondered whether or not the Public Advocate is charged with playing a role in such a project, how the city would pay for his proposed $80 million program, and whether muni wi-fi is a beneficial expenditure of city funds when plenty of residents don't even have computers. Rasiej answered somewhat vaguely, stating that NYC is missing out on the tech revolution, and New Yorkers deserve to be able to connect more readily to their government through wi-fi.

Jay Golub, a dentist and the only of the four debaters who seems to be more right-leaning, however, shot down the notion of free muni wi-fi as an over-extension of the government's role, and something best left to the private sector. Current NYC Public Advocate, Betsy Gotbaum, at one point responded negatively, saying she didn't think a woman waiting for permanent city housing would want to wait for her house to be wired. At another point, though, she said it seemed like it would be a good thing, and wondered aloud whether Mayor Bloomberg, who appears to be a shoo-in for re-election, supports muni wi-fi. If he does, she presumed he'd support a blend of public and private cooperation in implementing such a project.

During the debate, Rasiej conjured up a New York in which citizen public advocates (folks he insists are already woven into the city's fabric) take digital photos of potholes and other images reflecting quality-of-life issues that need attention, and then post them to a website dedicated to exposing such problems and facilitating action. A caller to today's Brian Lehrer Show on local NPR station, WNYC, named Brandon said he supports Rasiej and first learned about his campaign through the Internet. He also mentioned that while he's in favor of the muni wi-fi platform, he's especially appreciative of the notion that all NYC citizens can be public advocates.

The debate moderator also questioned Rasiej about a press announcement he released the same day in which he appeared to take credit for spurring the NY Metropolitan Transportation Authority's decision to wire subway tunnels and platforms for cellphone service for emergency security purposes. With a skeptic tone, the moderator asked point blank whether he was taking credit for it, and Rasiej responded that, indeed, he is.

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