1 + 1 + .... = 308,745,538 people and $13 billion

I never would have guessed that the 2010 US population cost about $13 billion until I read about it in this Economist article.  That works out to around $42 per person, which in my opinion is absolutely ridiculous.  India spent about 40 cents per person, China about $1 per person.  I recognize that the Census is important and is part of the US Constitution, but you cannot tell me that in today's electronic world there is not a technical solution that could solve this problem more efficiently.  I would think this would be a great opportunity for a private company to come up with a creative solution, save the government billions, and make a killing for themselves.