Folks aren't happy with their government. Check the polls. Check with the guys at the barber shop. Check with the folks holding signs outside what legislators call "Town Halls" and the like.

But at least on the right in West Virginia, the dyspeptic feeling everyone has all boils down to the assault on freedom. Democrat or Republican, that's too big a piece of pie for most voters to swallow whole.

The lightning rods are health care and energy right now. Whenever an elected official decides to throw a "Town Hall" and favors more government control of your medical care, you can count on a triple-digit number of retirees and employed voters showing up to ask good questions. You've seen it on TV.

Perturbed voters mixed with politicians who can't be bothered to understand the legislation they support equals video almost as entertaining as early Springer episodes.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., hosted one of these parties at the University of Charleston the other day. Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va., has one this weekend in Wheeling. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., could even have one if he weren't so busy flying around the Pacific Rim.

All of those guys are catching flak this summer owing to their public support of government-run health care. Folks don't want it. Folks aren't in love with their own insurance plans in many cases. But the simple fact is that they don't want government telling their individual doctor what can or cannot be done to save lives. Period.

Folks love the work of the local Division of Motor Vehicles or U.S. Postal Service so much that they want no part of that experience on a life or death basis. They see government involvement translating as less freedom or choice for them and their doctors.

For what benefit? Most folks who already have health care of any sort won't see any. Try talking to some of the union protesters who get bused in to make "bigger government" rallies look busier.

You kind of doubt that some dudes from the Teamsters will be so excited when they realize that more government-sponsored health care means more benefits for illegal Mexican immigrants. You know, the guys who get blamed on "South Park" for "taking our jobs."

Ditto for the UMWA miners who would learn their very generous retiree health care plan would probably be shuttered in exchange for whatever the government cooks serve.

Big picture, the plan being presented takes away your choices. It probably costs more. And it covers folks who don't want coverage or, worse still, have done nothing to earn it. More free stuff for those who don't ... from those who do.

While we're at it, you can lump state government in there as well. Big deficits are coming for retiree health care and state pensions. Back when we had no money in the 1980s, legislators made promises to the future that they knew they'd never have to pay for at the ballot box. A lot of paying tomorrow for hamburgers today.

So you'd assume savings and cuts would be the words of the day.

But no. Hilariously, those representing state employees and teachers have been pretty public in stating their displeasure. They deserve more, we are told.

Not that there is any shortage of people who would gladly work state jobs at rates of pay lower than those offered. Not that there is ever a real shortage in teachers in this state, outside the obvious higher math and science subjects whose practitioners will be paid far more in the private sector. But they all want more, too, no matter their job performance.

Better still, your governor and legislators seem to be eager to give it to them.

And that's just one more reason why the elections of 2010 are taking on the feel of 1994 here, too. Time to start writing the Contract With West Virginia for next week's column.

Rob Cornelius writes a column for The State Journal. His e-mail address is robcwv@statejournal.com.