This phase II trial is studying how well giving clofarabine and cytarabine together with filgrastim works in treating patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), advanced myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and/or advanced myeloproliferative neoplasm. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as clofarabine and cytarabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving the drugs in different doses may kill more cancer cells. Colony stimulating factors, such as filgrastim, may increase the number of immune cells found in bone marrow or peripheral blood and may help the immune system recover from the side effects of chemotherapy.