DON PURCELL HAS thought a lot about the most difficult issues facing our state, as both a prominent Midlands business leader and now a two-time House candidate. Mr. Purcell, who is seeking the District 78 seat in Forest Acres and Richland Northeast that Joel Lourie is vacating, is dismayed at the Legislature’s refusal to take a businesslike approach of identifying short-term and long-term needs and planning well in advance to address them all.

He sees providing adequate school funding to all our schools and reining in property taxes as the state’s top concerns. He eschews simplistic solutions, but his solution to those problems is quite simple, and yet it eludes our Legislature: “We need to look at what services we need, how much it costs and how best to get the money.”

That means not closing the door on any suggestion just because it might violate some mindless mantra or be proposed by someone from the other party or challenge the status quo — which he is anxious to do.

Richland County Council members Joan Brady and Susan Brill have been quick studies and good County Council members; both would bring an appreciation for local government that is sorely lacking in the House. Ms. Brady seems particularly well-grounded in education and tax policy, but she appears to have been “educated” as to the proper House GOP position on some issues, which gives us some concerns about just how independent she would be when the leadership positions conflicted with her own.

That concern is underscored by the fact that while Mr. Purcell, Ms. Brady and Ms. Brill all are more passionate about education, more concerned about equity and more open to tax reform than your typical Republican, Ms. Brady and Ms. Brill seem afraid to be pinned down on specifics. Mr. Purcell, on the other hand, is confident in his well-thought-out positions. He is clearly the best choice among three good choices.

A fourth candidate, L.W. Flynn, seems well-intentioned but is just too green for the job.