Anonymous wrote:a.) "up your game" is an idiom in common use, meaning "improve your performance". Get out more.
b.) To understand the paradox, you have to consider the source. Cato Institute is all about free markets and limited government. It's a paradox in that charters initially lessen taxpayer costs on one level by being a more cost-effective alternative on a cost-per-student basis than public schools, but it ends up increasing taxpayer costs because they are so effective that they draw away students from privates, which, while there's still a lower cost per student to the taxpayer, it potentially increases the number of students overall.
I think it is Cato wrestling with the fact that it's market competition in action (something they support), but is still dependent on taxpayer dollars (something they do not support).
Ha ha! Good explanation, and I love the image of Cato with its knickers all in a twist about this.