Excellent column Elise, because it's true. Head-shaking alone never got anyone anywhere.  For decades- when Alaska was rolling in wealth - Alaska has failed to provide and/or underfunded many services that Alaska has desperately needed. Substance abuse treatment and other treatment for violence, etc subsidized housing, food programs etc. have been ignored while the problems have steadily increased.  The one "treatment" Alaska has fully embraced is punishment, chiefly incarceration, where the people who need the most correction are it's employees.  Lots of money for the DOC and police.  But money to help transition inmates back into society? Nil. To help treat the mental disorders that being incarcerated creates in every person subject to it? Nope.  Reasonable changes to the law (SB91)? No way! 

Who's to blame? We are. Alaskans.  At least the ones who don't care.  And that, it seems, is most of us.