Three out of four Alaskans know someone who has been abused by a partner or raped.

Gov. Sean Parnell is among those with intimate knowledge of one of Alaska's ugliest black marks. Now he's throwing his political weight behind an ambitious 10-year plan, beginning with $7 million in his proposed 2010 budget to help victims, hold offenders accountable and break the generational cycle of interpersonal violence that gives Alaska the dubious distinction of being the worst state in the nation for rates of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Parnell's abusive, alcoholic grandfather died on Seattle's skid row. The governor's father, Pat Parnell, ended the cycle of violence within the family, but Parnell is familiar with the tremendous impact violence has on a family.

"The cost of doing nothing is a price no human being should ever have to pay," Parnell said while unveiling his proposed budget on Monday. "By this initiative we're making it intolerable, unacceptable, and the ramifications for those who commit these crimes in Alaska unbearable."

Parnell has a laudable goal: To end the epidemic within 10 years, offering Alaska an opportunity to swivel 180 degrees and become "a national leader in fighting these scourges."

"No more are we going to be a state where we are going to lead with six times the national average in child sexual assault," Parnell said. "That is not who we are as a people. That is not who we will be in the future."

Parnell speaks from the heart, personally, about the dire need to direct state energy to the deep problem. While his experience with the issue is unfortunate, it's not at all unusual; a public opinion survey conducted in 2006 by the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault reveals three out of four Alaskans know someone who has been abused by a partner or raped.

Peggy Brown, the network's executive director, is elated that Parnell is stepping up with funds and, better yet, directives to the state's Department of Law. He's the first governor in 20 years to make more than a token nod at domestic violence and sexual assault, she said.

But she's not without concerns.

The governor didn't preview the plan for her nonprofit, which has been providing victim services, prevention and more throughout Alaska since 1978.

The Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault is the umbrella for 21 programs in communities statewide, linking victims with resources, helping them navigate complex legal processes, and spreading a prevention message focused on breaking the generational cycles of abuse. State funds trickle down through the network to community programs, which are used to draw federal grants.

"It's really an interesting situation," Brown said. "We have a governor who really wants to help the issue. But on the other end are a lot of people who didn't know what was happening."

Brown met with Parnell on Wednesday, offering the network's partnership in his initiative.

She asked if he'd be willing to pose for an advertisement promoting the Network's "Real Alaska Men Choose Respect" slogan. There's no word on a commitment there, but the state's attorney general, Dan Sullivan, is among the men currently featured in the campaign.

"(Parnell) saw these programs that we were already doing, and I think he wanted to incorporate some," Brown said. "We didn't really know anything about (the plan) until it was rolled out. My hope is after this kick start, he's going to invite more stakeholders to talk."

Department of Law spokesman Bill McAllister offered a different take, saying the state consulted with stakeholders, including the network, in the months preceding the initiative rollout on Dec. 3. Through those meetings, Sullivan's team gained an on-the-ground understanding of the issues, which played into the plan.

"It is important to remember that the governor unveiled this as a 10-year plan," McAllister said in an e-mail. "This is just the start. We're open to ideas and want to continue to work cooperatively with key players, including the network. But it is also true that state government can't solve this problem on its own. As the governor noted, a cultural shift must take place."