New York, in particular, is stuck on this bad economic policy.  For years now, the state has rolled out the red carpet for select businesses, only to watch the efforts fall short. Just look at General Electric picking Boston, the vacant $750 million SolarCity factory, or Valutek, which still has not moved from Arizona despite promises. The entire Start-Up NY program failed so badly it created less than 750 net jobs, and legislators stealthily renamed it this past year. It gets worse, as the Buffalo Billion has triggered indictments over rigged contracting allegations.The much-maligned Central New York Film Hub, once heralded, is now mired in controversy and state mismanagement.New York’s economic development programs are the most expensive, least effective in the entire country, according to an Upjohn Institute report. The job creation promises from these programs and flashy announcements flop or are not even tracked.  Politicians may claim their latest-and-greatest taxpayer-funded giveaways will entice the economic flavor of the month. But this approach is like a boxer who never trains, trying to win his big prize fight by bribing the judges. It’s a morally questionable strategy with low odds and high costs. Amazon’s HQ2 does promise a $5 billion investment and up to 50,000 new jobs. That’s nothing to sneeze at, and it could be great for New York.That represents 60 percent of the total jobs added in New York state over the last year. The problem isn’t the goal; it’s the way it is being chased. A ‘to-the-highest bidder’ economic competition is nothing new. We’ve seen it before around the country, like with the GE bidding war that ended in a bad result for New York. Rather than crafting an economically friendly environment where everyone plays by the same rules, states bribe companies with whatever scraps of taxpayer money they can cobble together.Meanwhile the taxpayers and businesses providing the cash for those bribes get the cold shoulder.The Amazon situation has taken this to another level. One town in Georgia even went so far as to pitch the development of a new town, named Amazon. It is madness without method, a gross distortion of interstate competition.  Categories: Editorial, OpinionWho doesn’t love Amazon?When the online retail giant recently announced their search for a home for their second headquarters, they became the belle of the ball in just about every state in the nation. New York politicians – from your local city council member to the governor – are clamoring for Amazon’s love. Proposals have come in from New York City, Albany, Long Island, as well Buffalo and Rochester — all backed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s promise of big state handouts.They must expect it to be as easy as having a drone deliver an order in one click. Rather than doing the hard work to build an attractive business environment that serves homegrown small businesses and the Amazons of the world alike, politicians, led by the governor, have New York’s tax climate second-worst in the entire country. Yet, they expect to compete by offering the few dollars taxpayers have left.Business Journals compiled a list of state subsidies being offered to Amazon, placing New York’s as the sixth-most generous. The offers have not been publicly revealed though, so this figure could be higher. Only New York City is truly in the competition, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. That’s because the Big Apple’s massive population and cultural hot spots can help make up for high taxes and cost of living. It’s all but assured HQ2 won’t locate in the areas of New York that need it most. It likely does not matter. New York is so far behind the competition, even a massive bribe is a longshot.The state’s unhealthy business, tax, and regulatory environment has made it sickly.  This should be a fork-in-the-road moment. We can revive our economy. New Yorkers are ready to get the job done. But we can’t expect it to happen overnight. Instead of Albany’s failed business-as-usual, legislators and Gov. Cuomo should take a hard look in the mirror and put forward policies that get the state competitive for existing businesses and outside companies alike. That will truly help us land the next big job creator – and the one after that. Brandon Muir is executive director of Reclaim New York, a non-partisan, non-profit organization that empowers New Yorkers, through education and civic engagement, to reclaim ownership of their governmentBrandon Muir is executive director of Reclaim New York, a non-partisan, non-profit organization that educates New Yorkers on issues such as affordability, transparency and education.More from The Daily Gazette:Foss: Should main downtown branch of the Schenectady County Public Library reopen?EDITORIAL: Beware of voter intimidationEDITORIAL: Urgent: Today is the last day to complete the censusEDITORIAL: Thruway tax unfair to working motoristsEDITORIAL: Find a way to get family members into nursing homes read more