Portland Press Herald, Maine, Edward D. Murphy Column.

By Edward D. Murphy, Portland Press Herald, Maine Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Jan. 14--You would expect a fight over an inheritance when there's $41 trillion at stake.

That's how much a recent study by Boston College estimated will be up for grabs over the next 50 years as the most productive generations in history pass on -- and many try to pass on the money to the next generations.

Chuck Collins and William H. Gates Sr. are coming to Portland this week to tell Mainers why a big chunk of that $41 trillion should go to Washington instead of in the pockets of the children and grandchildren of the World War II and Baby Boomer generations.

Collins and Gates want to retain the estate tax, which currently grabs as much as half of the estates worth more than $1.3 million for a couple. Many small-business groups and the heads of family owned businesses want to see the tax eliminated.

In the interest of full disclosure, …