Edicts from on high irk local, state homeland security leaders.

• Position: SECURITY BEAT: HOMELAND DEFENSE BRIEFS - Brief article

* When it comes to sharing information and promulgating rules and regulations that can protect the homeland, communication from the federal government to state and local agencies is still a one-way street, said a consortium of 21 national organizations.

"Federal dialogue with local, state and private sector partners lacks consistency," said a white paper released by the National Homeland Security Consortium.

When state and local agencies look at the federal homeland security efforts, they generally see a series of independent programs instead of a "united comprehensive effort," the report said.

"Protecting Americans in the 21st century requires that national efforts, under federal leadership, markedly transition from being reactive and fractured, to being proactive, coordinated and comprehensive," said the report.

The consortium includes organizations such as the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Adjutants General Association of the United States, the National Governors Association and Major City Police Chiefs Association.

The white...