State comptroller Alan Hevesi — the guy whose job it is to audit other state agencies and ensure fiscal responsibility — announced Monday that he'll pay New York State $82,688.82 to cover the three-year period in which a state employee was assigned to chauffeur his wife, Carol. Some perspective:

• $82,688.82 could buy Mrs. Hevesi 41,344 subway rides, with 82 cents left over for a cup of coffee at the bodega.
• $82,688.82 could buy Mrs. Hevesi 45,474 MetroCard swipes, when you include the free swipe that comes with every $10 added to a card, with $8.82 left over for a fancy Starbucks coffee and a muffin or two.
• $82,688.82 could buy Mrs. Hevesi 1,640 hours of deluxe-sedan car service from Carmel, including 20 percent tip, with $32.82 left over for dinner.
• $82,688.82 could buy Mrs. Hevesi a 34,451-mile cab ride, including a 20 percent tip, assuming she didn't hail it during the rush-hour or evening surcharge periods and she didn't get stuck in traffic.
• $82,688.82 could buy Mrs. Hevesi 6,890 hours, 31 minutes in a stopped or barely moving cab, assuming she puttered along in off-peak, daytime hours. She probably wouldn't tip, though.

— Jesse Oxfeld