On April 23, as the Phoenix goes to press, the Massachusetts House Ways and Means Committee will unveil its version of the state budget for fiscal year 2004. It’s a day of heavy anticipation, since everything from social services to local aid and education is expected to fare even worse than it did in Governor Mitt Romney’s $23 billion plan, released last February. Lacking new revenues or the governor’s one-time funding gimmicks, the House budget will, in effect, reveal the hard, cold truth about the Massachusetts fiscal crisis.

As the gory details of cuts to programs and services become known, people are gearing up for a Beacon Hill lobbying blitz to stop the devastation. On April 30 — the day House members will debate their budget proposal — advocates for human services, health care, education, and housing will descend on the State House to push for something that legislators insist the public doesn’t want: tax increases. Explains Steve Collins, of the Massachusetts Human Services Coalition, which is helping to organize the rally, " We’re not saying we can tax our way out of this problem. But revenues need to be part of the solution " in closing a projected $3 billion FY ’04 budget deficit.

The call to arms kicks off at 10 a.m. at the State House, where organizers will offer mini-training sessions to a broad base of supporters, including teachers, teenagers, nurses, and senior citizens. Participants will fan out to legislative offices to voice a " raise the revenue — stop the cuts " message until 6 p.m. Outside the State House, organizers intend to set up " cell-phone stations " for people who’d rather call their representatives and senators than actually enter the building. By noon, religious leaders in and around Boston will present the so-called Proclamation for a Humane Budget to Romney, House Speaker Tom Finneran, and Senate president Robert Travaglini. The main rally will take place two hours later on the Boston Common.

Collins and his colleagues don’t expect the blitz to cause a change of heart on the issue among the legislative leadership (although on Friday, progressives in the House will file amendments to the budget that would raise revenues). But they do figure their effort will put taxes on the table. Advocates see the April 30 rally as the first step in pushing for a revenue package to include a supplemental FY ’04 budget this fall. Says Collins, " We’re just asking for simple fairness. All tools should be part of this budget solution. It shouldn’t just be about slashing vital services. "

The " Raise the Revenue — Stop the Cuts! " day will take place Wednesday, April 30, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the State House. For more information, visit the Cut No More campaign’s Web site at www.cutnomore.org.