After months of driving rain, chilly wind and unpredictable weather, the first full week of April can be a great time to take a relaxing stroll around the Capitol Rotunda in Olympia.

This year, however, you might want to reschedule your peaceful springtime walk. Labor and social justice organizations like Washington Community Action Network (WaCAN), the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC), Parents Organizing for Welfare and Economic Rights (POWER) and others have endorsed multiple rallies scheduled to take place on the grounds of the Capitol. Organizers of this Week of Action, scheduled for April 5 ^- 8, are anticipating large crowds.

Crowds that, if all goes as planned, will be anything but tranquil.

The reason for rallying: the projected millions of dollars in state budget cuts are anticipated to affect many individuals and programs around the state. Budget cuts that Fatima Morales, the communications director of WaCAN, argues Washingtonians don't want. 

"The people of Washington aren't OK with cutting healthcare for kids and programs for the needy," says Morales.

The Week of Action is a collective follow-up to a letter of demands issued by labor and social justice groups to the legislature in March. The demands outlined in the letter were that the state government close corporate tax loopholes, stop "scapegoating" communities, stop cutting critical social services and create living wage jobs. The organizations asked the state government to address the outlined demands by April 4.

Morales says the Week of Action is intended to remind lawmakers about the letter and how there are more productive ways for the government to close the budget gap. She believes critical social programs can be saved by ending tax incentives and breaks.  

"We don't want more cuts," says Morales. "We want an equitable tax system."

Kathy Cummings, the communications director for the WSLC, also argues that the budget cuts shouldn't fall on state workers and programs. Cummings says corporate greed and irresponsibility started the budget crisis, so it should be the corporations who bear the burden.

"The people didn't cause this mess," Cummings says. "Let's put the burden on the Wall Street and close corporate tax loopholes."

The Week of Action kicks off April 5 with a rally organized by the Olympia Coalition for a Fair Budget. Starting at the Rafah Mural Project on the corner of Capitol Way and State Blvd., interested community members will march as a group up Capitol Way until reaching the Capitol building. There, they will rally on the steps of the Capitol, with live speakers and music performances throughout the day. The rally starts at 10 a.m.

Events are also scheduled at the Capitol for April 6 - 8. Each day will feature different speakers and musical performances. The biggest event will occur on April 8, with dozens of organizations supporting a large, culminating rally. Individuals from all over the state will bus in to the events, and organizers hope the Week of Action will draw thousands of people to the Capitol's grass.   

Cummings thinks it's wonderful to see such a variety of organizations coming together to rally during the Week of Action. She says that while these organizations represent a multitude of different people and ideas, she hopes they will succeed in sending one, collective message to the legislature.

"The coordinating message in all this is ‘we are all one,'" says Cummings. "Put people first in budget deliberations.'"