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ALBANY, N.Y. -- As word of an imminent budget agreement washed over the Capitol Thursday, laundry baskets full of postcards were delivered to the Governor's office containing about 40,000 messages about the need to restore education funding.

"This budget would be devastating and one of the reasons it's so devastating is because the priority in this budget is tax cuts for millionaires," said Alliance for Quality Education Executive Director Billy Easton.

The so-called millionaire's tax that was seen as a possible revenue source to replace education cuts didn't make the grade, according to Senate Majority leader Dean Skelos.

"That's gone. It's off the table, it's gone. It's done, it's dead. It's not gonna happen," Skelos said.

Even so, advocates for the tax haven't given up hope, with actual rich New Yorkers penning this open letter to the governor, saying they should be taxed more. They even got a Hollywood star to publicly join the cause in a commercial.

"Please, ditch this backwards Robin Hood plan and give all New Yorkers a fair shake. Let's save the millionaire's tax break for when the rest of New Yorkers can afford it," actor Mark Ruffalo said in an ad.

"Our members are writing these cards, sending these messages, because they can't believe our state would not prioritize our kids over millionaires," said Citizen Action Executive Director Karen Scharff.

Governor Cuomo has insisted the budget won't hurt students, but educators say the real test will come in about two weeks when 700 local school districts across the state publicly propose their budgets.