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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 24, 2018)
January 24, 2018 The Skanner Page 3 News cont’d from pg 1 and was crowned “Port- land’s Funniest Person” in 2012. He was voted into the Willamette Week’s “Portland’s Funniest 5” in 2013 while releasing his first comedy album I Black Out the same year. In 2016, Nathan record- ed his second album, Be- cause, on distinguished record label Kill Rock “ family or on the road. TSN: Have you been auditioning for network shows? NB: Yeah, it’s actually funny. I’m new to it all, so it’s weird seeing new shows come out and see- ing all the people that are picked over you, but it’s pretty great. [I’ve au- I’m excited to talk to, es- pecially, a Portland crowd because I can say some stuff that I have had a harder time in other areas talking about Stars. He has opened for national headliners such as Dave Chappelle, Da- mon Wayans and Maria Bamford -- and he’s the creator and host of “The Hamster Village,” a pod- cast about interracial re- lationships. The Skanner News talk- ed to Brannon about performing in more con- servative parts of the country, L.A. auditions and what makes Portland audiences squirm. This interview has been edited for space and clarity. The Skanner News: The bio on your website says you’re “originally out of Portland, Oregon.” Are you still here? Nathan Brannon: No, no. I moved about a year ago. I’ve kind of been all over the place. TSN: Are you in L.A.? NB: Part time. My fam- ily lives in a different town so I kind of com- mute when needed, for auditioning and show- cases and stuff like that, but it’s not my center. I kind of split time every- where. TSN: You’re just kind of on the road all the time? NB: Yeah, for the most part. I’ve been in L.A. for pilot season, I’m there when there are audi- tions, but the rest of the time I’m either with my Study ditioned for] “Saturday Night Live,” Showtime, NBC, Comedy Central. “SNL” has been the big- gest one. It kind of goes nonstop during this time of year. TSN: Are you looking forward to being back in front of a Portland audi- ence again? NB: Yes, yeah I am. I’ve had a lot of experiences [on the road] so it’s al- ways gonna be nice to kind of bring those sto- ries back. There’s been a lot of really weird stuff. I moved right before the election. The town that my family is in, it’s a very nice town — a progres- sive small town. But it is surrounded by more con- servative areas. So in the middle of doing shows in that area, some of the au- diences are really, really crazy. I’m excited to talk to, especially, a Portland crowd because I can say some stuff that I have had a harder time in other ar- eas talking about. TSN: Do you mean talking about the elec- tion or talking about pol- itics? NB: Yeah. I’ve done shows where it was very apparent that White su- premacist groups were in town and they weren’t happy about me being there — things like that. Read the rest of this story at TheSkanner.com PHOTO BY BERNIE FOSTER Comedy Outlaw Formally Sworn In Portland’s new police chief Danielle Outlaw was formally sworn in Jan. 22, during a ceremony at the Oregon Historical Society. The oath of office was given by Carmen Sylvester, the first Black woman patrol officer to be hired by the Portland Police Bureau in 1974. Rev. Dr. Leroy Haynes, pastor of the Allen Temple, delivered the invocation, while Mayor Ted Wheeler and actor Russell Hornsby gave remarks. Hornsby is best known for his portrayal of Detective Hank Griffin on the Portland-based NBC series “Grimm.” Outlaw has been on the job since October, and is the 48th Police Chief since 1870, when the Metropolitan Police Department was formed. She was selected as Chief of Police in August by Wheeler, following a national search. As a 19-year veteran of the Oakland Police Department, Chief Outlaw is the third woman to be police chief in Portland and the first African American woman to hold the position. Bill cont’d from pg 1 says cops involved in incidents of deadly force, which result in death, are required to meet at least twice with a mental health professional, paid for by the agency. This bill will change that to all officers, regardless of incidence. Frederick said that the culture of police tends to be “nothing af- fects me.” Yet under their hard exteriors, anxiety and aggression can be triggered by past trauma on the job. “Police are coming from a mil- itary background. They think they’re in combat or under siege,” Frederick told The Skanner last fall while the bill was still in ges- tation. He cited the now-infamous Utah hospital incident last Sep- tember where an aggressive offi- cer with the Salt Lake City Police Department broke protocol and wrongfully arrested a nurse after she refused to draw blood from a comatose patient, as is hospital policy. ‘Checking in’ or adding to stigma? By requiring all officers to at- tend visits – described in the bill as “not a mental health evalua- tion” – the senator hopes it will decrease the stigma of therapy and provide a nurturing “check- in” to unload potential stressors “ Police are com- ing from a military back- ground. They think they’re in combat or un- der siege that could turn into incidents if gone unchecked. “Police officers often deal with some of the worst situations in our culture,” Frederick told The Skanner this week. “And because of that they likely encounter sit- uations that may cause over time — or maybe right away — a need to talk to someone about it. We know they have a tough job and they are often very tough people, but they are in fact people.” “So, this bill presumes, as peo- ple, they’re going to be struggling with things as well and it’s al- ways a good idea for folks to get a chance to talk with someone con- fidentially,” Frederick continued. Others see it a little differently. “There’s no sense that I have that (this bill) would be benefi- cial,” said Jason Renaud, coordi- nator of the Oregon Law & Mental Health Conference and board offi- cer of the Mental Health Associa- tion of Portland. Renaud said there are plenty of police officers who are mentally well, healthy and resilient – and it’s important to remember that those who do seek help can recov- er and return to the force. In fact, he noted, to assume that police officers regularly need mental health visits only perpetuates the stigma of an out-of-control, men- tally ill cop. Moreover, “Police officers have excellent health care insurance and they have access to psychiat- ric and psychological care,” added Renaud. That’s true for some police de- partments, like the Portland Po- lice Bureau, whose health insur- ance plans cover mental health services through a referral and a $10 to $20 co-pay. Read more at TheSkanner.com cont’d from pg 1 ter for Women’s Welfare at the Univer- sity of Washington, the “standard” — which has been calculated for 39 states over the past 21 years — is considered to a more factual representation of pov- erty than the Federal Poverty Level. Other key findings include: • 34 percent of households in Mult- nomah and Washington counties are not meeting the standard. • The percent of households in Mult- nomah County not meeting the stan- dard is up 11 percent from 2008 and Washington County is up 7 percent. The increase is attributed to signif- icant increases in the cost of child care and housing. • The standard for one adult, one preschooler, and one school-age child in Portland ($31.57 per hour) is the most comparable to Chicago (North Side), Ill; San Diego, Calif; and Raleigh, N.C. “ Minority house- holds occupy a greater share of those not meeting self-sufficiency • Renter-occupied households are 50 percent more likely to not meet the standard compared to owner-occu- pied households. • Minority households occupy a greater share of those not meeting self-sufficiency. • In 2014, 25 percent of households with inadequate income were minorities; in 2017 that share has increased to 37 percent. • Just one in three households led by single mothers meet the standard. • Households in East Multnomah County are 29 percent more likely to not meet the standard compared to West Multnomah households. • Among those households not meet- ing the standard, 76 percent have at least one person working. • Less than half of households with A parent working full time and earning any of the 2017 Oregon minimum wages will fall short of meeting the standard for a family with a child. a high school diploma meet the standard, while over 80 percent of households with at least a Bachelor’s have adequate incomes.
