Governor Cuomo, top New York officials pledge help for Puerto Rico in financial crisis

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (WABC) -- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and a delegation of top state officials met with Puerto Rico's governor on Tuesday to develop what he called a historic partnership with the U.S. territory to help it emerge from a deepening economic crisis.

Cuomo pledged to help with economic development and health care on the island.

"Today Puerto Rico faces a crisis that threatens the well being of our children's generation," said Puerto Rico's governor, Alejandro Garcia Padilla.

With those dire words, the governors of Puerto Rico and New York held a two hour exchange of ideas designed to help the U.S. commonwealth confront an enormous debt that grows worse by the day.

"I don't believe we're going to be able to solve any big problems today but I think we can listen and we can learn and we can then come up with a strategy," said Gov. Cuomo.

That strategy is already underway. The action plan unveiled by the New York delegation of federal, state and local leaders involves several cost-cutting and revenue generating measures.

Among them: the state will kick off off a $5 million tourism campaign aimed at boosting travel between New York and Puerto Rico; fostering a partnership between public higher education and the private sector; reducing the cost of energy on the island, and restructuring health care to make it more cost effective.

The presentation took place before a crowd of students at the University of Puerto Rico's medical sciences campus. Students who are filled with questions about finding employment after they graduate.

"I know what's happening now that I am going to graduate, but what is going to happen next? Am I going to get a job? Am I going to get the money I need to do what I want in my future?", said nursing student Alejandra Rodriguez Betancourt.

"I am a US Army reservist and a student and I would like to find a job. I'm trying but it's so hard because of the economy," said nursing student Max Pagan.

After a quick meet and greet with the governors, vendors at a market in Santurce shared with us the growing challenge of surviving in a shrinking economy and a vanishing customer base.

"Before we had more merchants, now in this plaza there are are only three of us selling vegetables," said second generation vendor Jorge Rivera.

Austerity measures put in place by Gov. Padilla, such as increased taxes and school and pension cuts, have only increased the despair across an island of 3.5 million Americans, taxpayers who have no voice in Congress, meaning their distant pleas for federal help often go unheard. So we asked both governors about that.

"Is part of your advocacy and political pressure in Washington aimed at convincing Congress to allow Puerto Rico the benefits of bankruptcy protection?", we asked.

"There is no reason for them not to have bankruptcy protection. None. None. How do you justify cities, states, counties but nowt Puerto Rico. There is no justification," said Gov. Cuomo.

"What we are asking is to have the same chance, the same opportunity, the same frame of law for our municipalities and our public corporations," said Gov. Padilla.

Both governors also cited a Medicare funding formula that's far less favorable to Puerto Ricans than it is to people in the 50 states, and that has actually saved Hector Ruiz Haussler. The vendor of alternative medicines says more and more people are coming toh im for a less expensive path to healing. "They are trying to get remedies like the old times so they come here. It's cheaper than getting some medication," he said.

Eyewitness News anchor Joe Torres is in Puerto Rico covering Governor Cuomo's visit.

You can also follow his updates on Twitter.

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