Diane Francis

“And for them to punish me as though I’m some kind of a problem, when in actual fact I’m not a problem, I’m a benefit to the city, is beneath the intelligence that most New Yorkers have.”

Diane Francis · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-28

Francis argued that as a part-time resident she is a benefit to the city, not a problem.

“I pay condo fees, I pay real estate taxes … I go out and eat, I go to the theater, I go to movies, I spend money everywhere, I buy stuff. I mean, I am a profit center,”

Diane Francis · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-28

Francis estimated she spends about three months a year in New York and argued she contributes economically to the city.

“I think it’s unfair to pick on people, and I don’t know how they’re going to police that … I think it’s very foolish,”

Diane Francis · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-28

Francis, who owns a secondary residence on West 57th Street, criticized the pied-à-terre tax as unfair.