Staff Reports
Senator Bernie Moreno lit into Mayor Andrew Ginther this week over Columbus’s new nursing partnership with Ghana. Moreno’s public letter blasts the Ghana‑Columbus Nursing Partnership Programme and calls out a municipal grant tied to Sister Cities. At the center of the fight: a $225,000 appropriation and a demand that city leaders stop recruiting foreign nurses and instead invest in Ohio nursing programs.
What Moreno said — and what’s verified
Senator Bernie Moreno’s letter accuses Mayor Andrew Ginther of prioritizing foreign workers over Columbus residents, even using the memorable line, “You were elected to serve the citizens of Columbus, not the citizens of Ghana.” Moreno points to a City Council authorization for up to $225,000 to Greater Columbus Sister Cities International and argues those funds will support recruitment of nurses from Ghana. He also alleges, without a city‑produced line‑by‑line accounting, that about $8.3 million has been spent during Ginther’s tenure to benefit noncitizens and foreign governments — a figure reporters have not independently verified and which the mayor’s office disputes.
Mayor’s response and the real question
Mayor Ginther’s office calls Moreno’s attack “unfortunate,” accuses him of “fanning the flames of conspiracy theories,” and says the initiative is meant to complement, not replace, domestic workforce development. The city insists no Columbus funding is being used to hire nurses under the MOU. Fine — but that dodge misses the real point. Columbus leaders should make it crystal clear whether city taxpayer dollars directly advance foreign recruitment or simply fund Sister Cities programming. If the goal is to fix a local nursing shortage, taxpayers deserve straight answers and a plan focused first on Ohio nurses.
Why this matters for Ohio nursing and taxpayers
We have a real nursing shortage in many markets. But the solution shouldn’t be political theater or soft accounting. If the city truly wants a stronger healthcare workforce, money should expand local nursing‑school capacity, fund retention bonuses, or help hospitals train and keep Ohio nurses. Recruiting abroad can be part of a long‑term strategy, but not when it looks like a shortcut that undercuts American wages or the careers of local students. Moreno is right to demand transparency; the public has a right to know whether its $225,000 is paying for travel and placement or for cultural exchanges via Sister Cities.
Bottom line
This week’s showdown between Senator Bernie Moreno and Mayor Andrew Ginther is about more than one MOU. It’s about fiscal stewardship, job priority, and clear policy on how Columbus fills nursing gaps. The mayor should produce a full accounting of sister‑city grants and explain how the Ghana‑Columbus Nursing Partnership Programme will be implemented — line items, employer agreements, and whether any public funds will go to hire foreign nurses. Citizens and Ohio nurses deserve honesty, not headlines. If Mayor Ginther wants to recruit talent from overseas, he should at least stop pretending Columbus isn’t first in line for the jobs that belong to its own people.
