Councilman Phil Wong Speaks Up for the Wok: Gas Stove Ban Hits Asian Home Cooking, Restaurants Exempt
In Queens, New York City, Hong Kong-born Councilman Phil Wong said publicly at an event hosted by the Juniper Civic Association on Saturday, October 31, that he will vote for the candidate who "lets him keep his wok," criticizing Governor Hochul's push for a gas stove ban in new residential buildings as an attack on how Asian families cook. He said no Asian family believes an electric stove can deliver wok flavor.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Blakeman, who attended the same event, later posted a video on social media showing himself visiting the kitchen of a Chinese restaurant in Queens, talking with the chef and picking up a wok, saying he would protect gas stoves so New York can keep eating good Chinese food.
The ban, aimed at cutting carbon emissions, applies to new buildings of seven stories or fewer starting this year and to taller buildings from 2029, and is currently paused by litigation; restaurants are exempt, so Chinese restaurants can still stir-fry over gas. Critics note that Hochul's Buffalo home and the Albany governor's mansion both have gas stoves, and that earlier this year she pushed the state legislature to delay parts of the green mandates, citing thousands of dollars in added costs for residents. New York's Election Day is November 3, with early voting running through Sunday, November 1.
(Source: New York Post)
Source: New York Post
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：纽约皇后区法拉盛主街。Tdorante10 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Main Street in Flushing, Queens, New York. By Tdorante10, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
