A true investigative journalist doesn’t blindly copy what other people say. They question its validity. The stuff these economists told you doesn’t even make any sense. You are too offended to even consider that you have been duped.
A real reporter of the likes of John Stossel or Danielle DiMartino of the Dallas Morning News asks a lot of questions, and doesn’t take “experts” at their word.
I can see why the LA Times is losing readership. The “reporting” that you describe is more like a 6th grader taking notes in a class, than a college senior working on an investigative thesis.
I have investigated this story, and that’s why I know much more about this than you. I tried to help you. Your defensiveness was an obstacle though, so I have to let it go.