Alan Hevesi's driver travails are pretty standard in state politics, argue Wayne Barrett and Tom Robbins in this week's Village Voice. Just look at the Patakis!

George Pataki's wife, Libby, employed a driver and a personal valet without declaring it on personal financial forms, a violation of ethics rules. The valet in question occasionally drove the couple from the governor's mansion in Albany to their Hudson River home, 100 miles away. The piece also details concerns about the chairman of the New York State Ethics Commission, Paul Shechtman, who has been accused of fixing state parole-board decisions.

So who will keep Hevesi company in the garage of shame? None other than Jeanine Pirro, who is accused in today's Post of paying a county-provided driver $150,000 in overtime over two years. (In addition to his $100,000 annual salary, making the driver one of the highest-paid county employees in Westchester.)

It doesn't really get Hevesi off the hook in any way, and Jeanine Pirro isn't the best person to have your character lumped in with, but misery loves company.

Reading this and thinking of Libby, Al, Carol, and Bill — our own little New York–politics Loud Family — now we know why Mayor Bloomberg isn't married. You assumed he was gay? Nope, just smart.

A Hevesi Heresy [VV]
Pirro's Driver Had 150G Meal Ticket [NYP]